


Ariel

by Milana16



Series: Fang, Fist, Song series [2]
Category: TsukiPro the Animation
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Vampire Hunters, Alternate Universe - superpowers related to music that make very little sense, Fantasy, Gen, I could not decide on relationships so you have senior ot3 marked, M/M, School Drama, cameo by SQ teams, help how do you write teenage boys so they aren't too mature but also mature enough, it's Soara you knew what was going to be the setting, mentions of kidnapping drugs and human experimentation but all of that is kind of subtle, tho they're pretty platonic most of the time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25310158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milana16/pseuds/Milana16
Summary: Ariel is a god of wind, whose powers mess with people only to leave them better than they were before.Sora doesn't realize how similar they might be until he barges into lives of his four Singers, turning them upside down.Like any comedy, though, all's good that ends good.
Relationships: Arihara Morihito/Kagurazaka Soushi/Oohara Sora, Kagurazaka Soushi & Oohara Sora, Munakata Ren/Nanase Nozomu, Sora & everyone basically
Series: Fang, Fist, Song series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653481
Comments: 25
Kudos: 15





	1. Tabitachi no Yell

**Author's Note:**

> Word of explanation- I KNOW the official Romaji for Soara opening is Aliel(and kana suggests it's supposed to be aerial?), but the lyrics make me think of Tempest's Ariel all the time, so I decided 'screw it, author's imagination license' and went with my interpretation. It helps that Shakespeare is read around high school period over where I live, which in return also related back to the 'after-school-turned-proffessional-band' vibe of Soara.  
> Anyway, for those of you who come here after checking Burny, Aliel starts approximately around the same time as the last parts of chapter five and chapter six, and then continues from there.  
> For those of you who did not check Burny out, don't worry, I tried to write Aliel so that it didn't repeat too much information from previous installment, but also so that you were able to more or less gather wtf is going on in this AU.  
> Without even longer intro, enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got impatient lol.  
> Still, to celebrate today's broadcast of BlazingFreezing, new story from the vampire universe! This one is...well, I know where I want to end it, and that's it xD I make up most inner plot as I go, and change it when the boys protest, so, sorry if I sometimes repeat myself...  
> Anyway, I didn't mark it this time, but this story and it's partner/rival that I will post within few hours (need to beta it still and it's big) will also contain a bit of worldbuilding. Less than in Burny (hopefully) but still.

Sora knows he's not normal at the age of four.

It's because his parents are acquainted with Soushi's, Kagurazakas known as lesser hunters, and he's recognized as possessing rare talent of... some sorts? by them, and instantly withdrawn from preschool. He's unable to leave house for the next three years, not without a close protection of an adult. Which, to a hyperactive child like Sora is bullshit, and he spends most of that time experimenting with ways of getting out of the house unnoticed, and getting scolded for it more than once.

It's not until he's eight that his own pleas and Soushi's request of letting him go to school get listened to, Soushi requesting that after getting tired of his whines and of having to save him from compromising situations with frequency of once every two days.

The school is fun, even if he has to stay glued to Soushi's side.

That's how he meets Ren, another kid having to stay glued to Soushi, but having much less qualms about it. Oh, and also a vampire.

Ren is younger than them by but a year, but to a vampire, that’s a big deal. While they will grow the same until they are like ten, at eleven, Ren will start slowing down visibly, retaining features of a teenager until he’s well into thirties. By the time he will look twenty, he will already have almost half of the century under his belt.

But for now, he’s just a scared kid who looks up to Soushi and is kind of shy around Sora, something not many people are, and Sora takes an instant liking to him. It does help that it’s Ren who manages to trace him when his first abduction of many happens, kidnappers triggering sensoric awakening that made Ren capable of sensing Sora, and leading rescuers to where he was held at.

It’s kind of sad that once they’re nine and Ren is eight, Ren’s parents move deeper into the vampire district, Soushi’s Guardianship over younger kid no longer needed.

Sora mourns loss of the Sound near himself, but is comforted by the melody still going strong, meaning Ren was growing fine, even away from them. He tells Soushi as much.

He’s abducted for real at nine, and that’s the first time when he understand why he’s targeted in the first place.

So, not everybody sees Songs?

It seems so. At least according to that Morihito guy-erm, vampire. Sora isn’t really sure if he follows his explanation -although, actually, if you’re son of the kidnapper, should you explain to the kidnapped kid and a friend who came to reclaim him, why he was even kidnapped in the first place? Should you help kidnapped human Composer escape?- but it’s mostly because the music around the other is clear, the clearest he has seen since Ren separated from them and Soushi starting to bop him on the head every time he mentioned Song surrounding young hunter. He always quoted ‘remaining as inconspicuous as possible’ as a reason, but Sora is sure he just had a thing for hitting him.

Well, whatever the reason, they’re now there, in one of the corridors of the Arihara institute, Mori at the head, leading them to a small backdoor that he swears will lead Soushi and Sora outside and perfectly between two guard posts, in the only blind spot of the outside circle of protection. Soushi is kind of sceptical, but then again, he’s also nine year old hunter who managed to slip past three security levels of the institute and localize Sora, drugged to the point of unconsciousness, and only Mori’s surprising obsession with Sora prevented him from getting to his friend unseen. Then again, Morihiro isn’t that interested in keeping Sora stuck in the institute either, and he gains instant bonus Sora friendship points as the first person-or vampire- NOT trying to lock him up somewhere.

He’s also the one who un-drugged Sora, though he doesn’t remember that, and the person who worked with Soushi on getting them un-kidnapped, despite hunter’s obvious distrust, so. Sora counts that as a good points.

And his Song was awesome, and that is the final argument for himself.

When Morihito and Soushi reach an uneasy consensus, working out a plan of action that will not put either of them at unnecessary risk - like, for example, outing the fact that Arihara family, one of the High clans, obviously experimented on Sora in tries of extracting his Composer talent and multiplying it, probably to manufacture Composers for the purpose of battling Marionettes, or the fact that Kagurazaka family actually hid Sora, the so far the only known human Composer, from the public’s eye in the first place - Sora makes his decision.

‘Will we see each other again?’ He asks, and both his peer and the vampire in front of them stare at him in shock.

‘No.’ Soushi says as if that was obvious.

‘Yes, probably.’ at the same time replies Morihito, looking at Sora with curiosity. ‘Right now, you’re...’

‘Nine.’ Sora answers, ignoring Soushi’s scowl. Morihito also ignores it, counting something in his head.

‘Then, somewhere in high school, I presume.’ he answers with a nod, before blinking. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘Because I want to see your Song again.’ Sora answers honestly. ‘It’s cool, like Soushi’s.’

The two stare at him in shocked silence.

‘You can see...’

‘...my Song?’

Sora huffs. For all their arguing, Soushi and Morihito have surprising amount of synchronization going between them.

‘Would I say those things if I didn’t? Seriously, guys.’

Morihito wakes from his stupor first.

‘That’s flattering opinion, and if it’s real, then that’s all the more insurance we will see each other. Composer attracts his Singers and vice versa.’ he explains, and while Sora doesn’t really get it, he’s more than happy to be assured they WILL meet again.

There is a siren, somewhere in the direction they came from, and all of them startle. Mori looks behind himself.

‘I’ll buy you some time, so you’d better go now.’ he says, looking at the two children. ‘It was nice meeting you, and perhaps a see you again is in place.’

‘I can’t say the pleasure was mine, but. Thanks for helping, I guess.’ Soushi huffs. ‘It’s surprising to see someone normal near this guy.’

‘Oi!’

Mori smiles.

‘I hope we get to know each other in...’ his smile becomes strained. ‘...less illegal circumstances?’

‘If you manage to get your family to stop this...’ Soushi makes a wide gesture with his right hand, his left grasping at Sora. ‘...thing, then by all means.’

Sora looks in confusion. How come were they this civil to each other now?

He has no time to contemplate it, because Mori smiles at him.

‘Take care, Sora.’ he pushes him gently, and Soushi pulls from the other side, and suddenly, they’re outside, and Mori’s smile stays behind them.

*

Soushi keeps his end of deal and insists he doesn’t know on whose terrain he’s found Sora, only that he did and managed to bring him back. Sora in turn insists he doesn’t remember much - which actually is kind of true, up until Mori did _something,_ and he woke from drugged stupor, his memories are a haze - and the case is dropped with only a short absence from school for Sora, during which Soushi’s family implement some kind of precautions that are supposed to disrupt any other attempts.

He’s kidnapped three more times, but each time Soushi finds him within few hours, and with time Sora learns to navigate public spaces so that he’s never alone, and the chances of the kidnapping drop to almost zero. Getting friends is a bonus, definitely. Especially when they move up to middle school.

He still remembers green eyes behind glasses though. Soushi is reluctant to talk about this particular meeting, and so, Sora is left to stem in the memory alone, in the sounds that were audible only to him.

He isn’t left alone though. Vampiric party, whoever they are, realize Kagurazaka family has strengthened protection against them, and so, they change tactics.

One day, Sora went to sleep as the casual middle-schooler with bunch of friends.

When he woke up, he became human national treasure or a monster, depending on who you’d ask, all thanks to somebody leaking his Composer talent to the public.

Suddenly, his - he thought- close friends look at him differently, and there’s also attention from other, more influential people, but Sora soon realizes it’s not about him.

It’s about Songs.

He wouldn’t even mind that, Songs are a big part of himself, but it isn’t about seeing Songs be completed, performed true to their sound. It’s about Using them.

They are taught in history, how one Composer and Singer (vampires, obviously) had managed to change the way the human-vampire war finished, how seven vampires using Songs managed to save the sane part of the world from the calamity of Puppet Masters, Marionettes and Black Despair. The looks he is thrown then are partly awed, mostly jealous, and all bear undertone of fear. Suddenly, he is even welcome in the hunter’s course, but it’s always to present the Song cut, push, seize. Not play, soar, cheer up, and Sora becomes scared.

If all his Songs are capable of is destroying, what is the point of creating then?

Soushi realizes what’s going on and tries to alleviate the damage. It’s him coming to check on Sora in common division now, him waiting for Sora during breaks, and him grumbling while picking Sora out of the crowd of unhealthily staring hunters and non-hunters wishing to see his talent, to maybe work out how he acquired it and then how to copy it.

It’s only temporary solution, though, and Ohara family soon consults with Kagurazaka, and they transfer schools, to one that forgone regular hunter-casual division, instead implementing side-by-side learning for both humans and vampires. Paradoxically, Head of Kagurazaka family says, the darkest place is under the candlestick, maybe regular vampire presence will dull novelty of Sora’s talent.

It works, and after the regular ‘transfer student’ novelty wears off, Sora and Soushi are accepted as just another pair of humans, even though one of them is a hunter and the other is anomaly.

The damage is done though, and Sora starts avoiding looking at the Songs, starts to try and cut them off, mute them. He hides this skill in the deepest recess of his mind, and even though he pays for it with incredible headaches, nobody realizes he can see sounds they make, their Songs. Well, nobody who didn’t already knew that. He is back to trying to never be left alone, as many lesser and Higher vampires attending the school seem to know about his secret and while they don’t spill it, they threaten to do so, and while most humans are distrustful of vampires, and Sora is liked well enough for his new friends not to believe in the existence of „the dark secret” vampires talk about, it’s still draining.

There are happy times as well, though.

One of them happening in their third year of middle school.

Sora is fighting yet another headache and kind of stumbles away from his regular circle of friends, hoping that the air will clear a bit of the fog in his head, aiming to get to the roof. Of course he cannot use the regular route, vampires will get to him like flies to stinky fish, and so he stumbles into the corridor, hoping it was the one leading to the fire staircase. He had discovered them the last time he needed to get to the roof unnoticed - their school quite irresponsibly kept the door to it open on all floors and without any security preventing students from using it. Still, by some miracle nobody used them the last time he needed to-

This time there was somebody, and Sora collides with that person with a yelp. It’s not good, but that person also yelps and flails, and so he presumes it’s fine, vampire wouldn’t-

Actually, it would. The voice that utters his name next proves that.

‘S-Sora-san?’

He tries to stop seeing but headache becomes unbearable, and he suddenly sees a silver of shyly cheerful melody surrounding the gray-haired vampire looking barely eleven, and in fact being actually older than that. Still visibly withdrawn, though.

‘Ren?!’ why does he even asks, his Song was unmistakable. Sora shakes his head. Bad idea with a headache, and he groans. Ren quickly gets to his feet and leans over him.

‘Sora-san? Are you okay, where’s Sou-ni-’ he cuts himself off before continuing. ‘Kagurazaka Soushi-san?’

‘I’m alone. Gotta get some air.’ Sora explains, with a wince realizing that he probably should have informed Soushi of his plans. He had major scolding incoming, probably. Which didn’t really matter if his head was already splitting in two. ‘Preferably away from vampires, no offence.’

Much to his surprise, instead of expected stutter, Ren squints his eyes at him.

‘So those people just a bit away from us aren’t with you?’

‘What?’ he looks behind his back, but the corridor is empty... oh. Right. Ren was a sensor. A very fragile one, but that was when they were like, seven, so. After nearly doubling in age, he probably got a hang of his power. ‘No, they’re definitely not with me, and I should get away-ugh.’

He massages temple with one hand and so he realizes only after a second that the hand in front of him isn’t actually his other hand.

‘I understand.’ Ren says seriously, then as if they didn’t separate for sevenish years, adds. ‘Let’s get you out and wait for Sou-nii, Sora-san.’

Against himself, Sora grins.

‘You’re a lifesaver, Ren.’ he says, accepting the hand and this time, he gets the reaction he expected- Ren stutters. He doesn’t let go of Sora’s hand though, and soon they are on their way in the maze of side corridors and passages of the school, Ren making sure they remain unnoticed, and then they get blessedly out.

Even during their short climb, Sora can slowly let his talent resurface, and in return, the dull pounding pressure in his head eases as things he wanted to keep bottled inside finally get out.

There’s nobody at the roof yet, most people choosing to use the sun falling on the grassy field behind the school and most vampires choosing shade under the trees. Even though the sun didn’t kill them, against any legend about vampires, most of those beings just didn’t like it. Ren, standing quietly next to him, didn’t seem to mind it, though. Sora takes deep breath after deep breath, and simultaneously thinks of all the little things he’s missed- the sound around Ren is still shy, but somehow, it feels more precise, more polished.

‘But can you believe?! I didn’t know you were in the same school.’ he says suddenly, startling the vampire standing silently next to him. Sora laughs. ‘Wait until Soushi gets to hear about it!’

‘I get to hear about what?’ there’s a voice from the direction of the stairs. Sora and Ren yelp simultaneously. It feels super nostalgic, for some reason.

‘Soushi!’

‘Sou-ni-’ Ren cuts himself the same way he did before.

Soushi approaches them quickly, his trajectory clearly showing he’s intending to get between Ren and Sora, but he freezes at that slip up, before taking a good look at the vampire next to Sora.

‘Ren?!’

Grey haired vampire looks up at him shyly, even as he makes a step away from Sora to let Soushi finish his trip between the two of them, his whole posture expressing both surprise and compliance, the way most vampires were unable to, or refused to near hunters. Ren was different in that aspect too, feeling safe enough near Soushi, even though they haven’t seen each other for how many years? And Sora notices the shy Song happily melting with much stronger and cooler one of the hunter.

‘L-long time no see...’ he drifts off his eyes not meeting theirs.

‘You’ve said it now...’ Soushi huffs. ‘And here I was wondering how did Sora had not gotten himself in trouble yet. I owe you one, I see.’

‘Oi, Soushi!’

‘A-Ah, no-’

‘Enough about idiot behind me. How have you been, Ren?’ Soushi leans down. Ren was more than head shorter than him, and even Sora was taller still- now that he looked. ‘How’s new neighborhood? Is dojo popular?’

Ren gives a small nod.

‘We’re doing good, Sou-ni- Soushi-san.’ he corrects himself and Soushi chuckles, an unexpectedly warm sound.

‘What was that now?’ he teases and Ren blushes, but before he’s able to stammer out a response, Soushi very gently pats him. ‘Call me whatever you want to, Ren. I _was_ your guard once, after all. You won’t charm me with names or whatever people expect vampires do with them.’

That startles a small giggle from Ren, one of the unusual talents of Soushi coming to life, now that they met again. Then, vampire’s eyes widen and his head snaps in the direction of stairs. Soushi tenses in response, an old habit of reacting to Ren’s sensoric powers kicking into gear.

‘What’s it?’

‘Ah, no!’ Ren startles and Sora comes to the sudden realization he probably didn’t have anyone Soushi-level attentive to his talent around himself now. He probably forgot Soushi can read him well, too. ‘It’s nothing bad, but...’

His eyes stray to Sora and fill with conviction. He breaks away from them.

‘I have to go, sorry.’

He stops, then turns, a small smile on his face.

‘It was nice meeting you again. Sora-san, I hope your head feels better soon. Goodbye.’

‘Ren you’re too kiiiiin-rgh.’ Sora tries to launch himself at the vampire, but Soushi catches him by the collar of his uniform, simultaneously waving to Ren.

‘Now, what was that about headache? And why did you separate from everyone without telling anybody where you were going?’

‘Eeek!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This one I can tell for sure will be updated around Sora's birthday in twoish weeks... even though there's pretty little Sora in second part lol.


	2. Roundabout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...lied about update around Sora's birthday, lol.  
> Explanation is, I realized I misaligned Aliel and Maho no Kizuna, and MnK's second chapter is parallel to Ariel's third and fourth rather than second and third, as I originally planned it to be. Also, Sora gets a bit more exposure in third, so it will be more fitting for his bd.  
> For now, enjoy certain older Composer suffering Singer's withdrawal syndrome and as a result adopting and mentoring two other kids with a music connection. Man, I should update character tags...

They meet Ren around school, though mostly from afar. The vampire makes sure not to draw attention to Sora whenever that happened, too, and Composer feels his affection rise tenfold.

They also meet the reason of Ren’s sudden departure that day at the roof, few weeks after they reunite.

The reason’s name is Nanase Nozomu, and his sound is loud, even though it’s supposed to be just bass... and he also has no respect for Sora, which Soushi mentions has to do with how similar their characters are, which to be honest is rude!

But, back to the topic, Sora now knows all of his Singers, even if three of them are potentially dangerous to his being. Well, his headaches grow, that’s for sure, and the time he spends at the roof does as well. He hums the melodies, that’s the least he can do, and the wind carries them out, to somewhere he hopes Mori will hear them and find respite in them. Or something. Did vampires respited? Was that even a word?

He gets told off for suppressing his power a lot too, but Soushi cannot force him into letting go of that secretiveness. Even if he does try his best to prove him otherwise, but. Sora is as stubborn as he is.

More scared of what people will do once they realize he can Compose than Soushi is.

Because if the only things people want to use his Songs for is destroying... then it’s better for those Songs to stay with Sora. Slumber, until there will be no need for weaponizing them.

Even if he knows that time isn’t coming any time soon. Even if Soushi’s family weren’t Highs, they were still hunters, and he knew what was the world like, outside of the cities and towns protected with strong glyphs, and multitude of powerful vampires and Hunters. And, ironically, Songs.

Sora has the hardest time hiding his talent when this or that Singer present their skill publicly, clearing the air of Despair that might have slipped back into shelter with returning unit, decimating threats to their society, and guaranteeing safety to their lands. It’s then that Sora can see the potential of the Songs even when suppressing his sight, can see how the Songs are often tailored to the Singer but not to the Song itself, and realizes that there’s much more stuff going on behind the stages than just simple process of deciphering sounds only he can hear and transcribing them onto black and white scoresheet (optionally onto margin of his notebook, though he tries to cover those up as soon as they appear).

They go up a level without a problem, the school having escalation system, and Soushi getting in not only on the value of his scores but also his missions as a Support to the Field teams, the only reason he used to be absent from school, leaving Sora in care of their mutual friends.

(They don’t talk about it, but Sora knows he also lets Ren know when Soushi will be absent from Sora’s side; he can hear Songs of his Singers even when holding his power back, and the shy sound, sometimes assisted by that pointed bass of Nanase, is always there when Soushi isn’t.)

Different to middle school division, high school division was going a step further in its’ coeducational aspect, and made vampires and humans learn not only in the same building, but also in the same classes. Sora is both excited and anxious about it, but by now most of his human friends are aware of his confusing beef with vampires, and he even has friends in some lesser ones, fed up with politicking their fellow High specimen cannot drift away from for too long. So, this time, he feels he is prepared to face the world.

It’s in their first year that Sora is reunited with his final Singer, and for that, he definitely wasn’t prepared.

‘I’m Arihara Morihito. Nice to meet you.’

He jumps up, then drops onto his seat, causing few chuckles, but he ignores them, staring at the vampire in front of him, currently turned towards him with a puzzled expression.

He looks almost exactly the same as he did back in his family’s secret facility.

‘Is... something the matter?’

Sora opens his mouth. Mori looks at him with complete lack of recognition, and against his better judgement, Sora looks at his Song.

It’s developed and even cooler than it was before, but most importantly, it recognized him, and that meant the man it belonged to did, as well. So why-

There’s a heavy hand on his head, bowing it a bit, hiding that shine his eyes get when looking at Songs.

‘Nah, this guy here's just easily excitable when meeting new people, and you haven’t been in lower level with us. Sorry.’ comes fond but still official tone of Soushi from behind him, Songs of hunter and vampire communicating in a snappy way, before separating, and Sora’s mind swims, when Morihito chuckles politely.

‘I see. Yes, my family has decided to bring me in coed for the last level only. It’s kind of a tradition.’ he explains.

As if he didn’t inform Sora and Soushi of that six? Seven years ago? Soushi seems to continue as if they didn’t meet before, and judging by warning squeeze on his shoulder, he wanted Sora to do the same.

Why?

‘He’s protecting you, idiot.’ Soushi says lowly on the break, while Morihito leaves their classroom, few High vampires already surrounding him. ‘He’s the heir to Arihara family. The Arihara family. Think nobody will snoop if you hang out around him? Getting your relation to him outed then is a matter of time, and judging by your headaches, you don’t seem to want it to happen?’

‘Ugh...’ Sora clutches at his head. ‘But Souuuu...’

‘No buts.’ Soushi takes pity on his head and instead pats - heavily - his back. ‘Unless you make peace with what is inside of you, do not try to go around fixing others’ issues.’

‘So you saw it too?’ Sora’s head snaps up. ‘That his eyes look dead?’

Soushi rolls his own.

‘I know you don’t pay attention, but. Number one rule to untrained human is not to stare into vampire’s eye so as not to accidentally trigger their core energy, since some don’t have control over whether they will start picking your brain or doing other stuff.’ he hesitates. ‘But yes. Arihara looked different.’

Sora swears right here and then that he’s going to figure out what’s going on with his fourth Singer.

Preferably without revealing he’s a Composer.

Okay, it might be hard.

*

Scratch that, it was close to _impossible_.

Soushi predicted and disabled half of his plans, the other half were too risky with the constant presence of other High Vampire Families’ heirs around Morihito. Sora grows restless, and his headaches grow more constant now, with two Songs connected to him in his constant proximity, and his family considers withdrawing him from school. He protests, because where is his spring of youth in that case?!

Soushi constantly drops not so subtle quips about him finally letting his sight out and reigning it under control, all of them laced with kind reassurance of protecting him until he gets there, but Sora is still scared.

He doesn’t want to Compose murder weapons.

Realization that he doesn’t necessarily have to comes during one of the school trips, to neighboring shelter. It is heavily populated by different Groups and even has a Harmony Festival, celebrating coexistence of vampires and humans, and so, the school headmaster finds it a good idea to send his pupils out there to taste the life and see for themselves the results cooperation rather than mutual caution brings.

In theory, it’s a good idea, only when they arrive, it turns out they came right in time for the summit of Highs or something similar, for the festival streets are inhabited with quite a number of unmistakable energies. Their teachers adjust, and after the curricural sight-seeing in group, give them free time with a sharp reminder to wander in groups of at least three, to make sure everyone is safe.

And of course Sora is separated from his team.

One moment, he has back of Soushi and the brunette girl who took a liking to his childhood friend (life's unfair like that) in front of himself, in the next, he’s alone, surrounded by unknown Sounds and auras permeating his brain even though he holds his sight back. As if to make matter worse, vampires take notice of him as soon as his Sight slips. Not even for a second, he catches it instantly, but it’s enough, and he suddenly has to meander, to avoid pretty strong auras following him around. Resulting in him stumbling into even stronger aura.

‘I’m sorr-’ apology dies in his throat, because even though now he has an iron grip on his talent, the Songs around the stranger are still visible, still yearning, praying, sad but hopeful, and he realizes its’ not his sight only that makes them visible.

‘Ah.’ he says at he same time as the stranger, a tall vampire with bright blue eyes and light brown - or is it dark blond already?- hair, whose face seemed to reflect the surprise Sora felt.

The vampire was a Commposer, too.

A thought struck him just like that, but it makes so much sense, and he is unable to shake it off.

The man in front of him seems to be able to, for he looks above Sora, and then visibly braces himself, before grasping at Sora’s shoulder and pulling him along.

‘H-hey!’

‘It’s okay.’ man-abductor?- says quietly. ‘You need to get away from them, don’t you?’

Sora is dumbfounded enough to let himself be pulled along, to some visibly less crowded side alley. The see-through sheet of water raises after they pass the entrance, and the vampire sighs. Suddenly, Sora feels they're alone. Completely. No other sound permeates the thin sheet, as if the membrane caused all vibrations that made up sounds bounce back from it.

‘It’s okay now, they won’t find us in there, even if you let your sight out.’ other Composer turns to Sora with a smile, but doesn’t close the distance he put between them before. He’s clearly aware of the discomfort Sora feels by being one on one with vampire, and seems to try and lessen it.

‘You know-’ he cuts himself off, but the other still nods.

‘Even when you hold back, other Composers can see you have music belonging to you, connected with other people, in a way different to anything else.’ he explains, leaning against the wall behind himself.

‘You also-’

‘Ah, I didn’t introduce myself, did I.’ he smiles. ‘Izumi Shu, nice to meet you, Composer.’

‘...Sora. I’m Oohara Sora.’

‘Oohara?’ Shu hums in curiosity. ‘Are you perhaps a hundred percent human?’

‘What is this question? Of course I am!’ Sora is baffled. Could you be seventy eight percent human?

‘Yes, well, I thought maybe you’re a dhampire, a half-blood, and that’s why...’ he drifts off, before continuing explanation. ‘Composing is kind of a vampire thing. You’re first human Composer I meet, and I’ve seen some of others like us.’

‘Yeah, I know I’m pretty rare.’ Sora scowls. When he was younger, he was happy about that exceptional trait, even if he hated the restrictions adults put on him because of that. After meeting Mori, and realizing what people yearning for his talent really wanted, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

‘Can I ask you something?’ Shu says in the stretching silence. Sora looks at him warily, but the vampire has calm, kind eyes, and waits patiently for his answer. He nods. ‘What is that makes you not Compose? Because it seems that you already have your Singers next to you.’

He lets his smile turn wistful, yearning, as he reaches out a hand to a loose thread only the two of them can see.

‘As opposed to me.’

Sora looks at the vampire in front of him, but sees something else; instead of a powerful being he was mildly wary of for most of his life, he sees a brother soul, joined with him through the talent that brought as much misery and pain as any curse would. Only, he realizes, Shu’s curse is the opposite of his; while the vampire yearns for the Song connected to him to be by his side, to be able to Compose them, Sora is...

‘I’m scared.’ he says quietly, suddenly, things he held back even from Soushi are so easy to say, because the man in front of him will _understand_. ‘The Songs... I’m scared what will happen to them once they come to this world. What people will do with them, with the guys, once they realize... they realize they’re Singers. My Singers, and my Songs. I don’t want to create weapons. I don’t want to be a weapon. They’re... they’re youth, not death. They should be happy.’

He’s not sure if he’s talking about his Songs or his Singers, but at this point, it doesn’t matter, because he doesn’t want either of them to become weapons, tools of power. And the vampire in front of him doesn’t seem to mind his blabbering, either.

‘I’m... probably not the one to advise it, but... not all Songs are weapons.’ Shu finally says slowly. ‘Some are prayers.’

He raises hand and deep beat permeates air for a moment, before Shu lets the sound drift away without becoming Song.

‘Some are meant to support.’ soft smile as he grazes Song sounding like droplets of water on the surface of the lake, airy, light. Sora catches sound of sizzling pan, of the alarm clock's tick-toc, but all of those are tiny background to the voice he doesn't know, doesn't see, even if he knows it is- should be there. Was Shu showing him melodies he had yet to Compose? 

Vampire tilts his head softly, and reaches further. The tone of the next sound is vastly different, and Sora instantly knows Shu is borrowing Song of somebody else.

‘There are those meant for fight yes, but... did you know? Some weapons are meant to protect, rather than hurt.’

He smiles softly.

‘And things our Songs are most effective against are being freed in contact with it, even if the Song destroys their outer shell.’

‘You mean Marionettes?’ Sora asks, even if the name sounds like a foreign fairytale or something like that to him. Shu simply nods his head, though. ‘Never seen one.’

‘Be grateful for that.’ something in Shu’s eyes show pain. ‘Those beings are equally pitiful and disturbing, you see.’

‘Pitiful?’

‘They’re... mute. Even to us.’ Shu explains slowly, trying to make Sora understand. ‘They don’t have their own sound. No Song, no phrase. Nothing.’

Sora tries to imagine that. The void that appears in answer makes him shiver. Shu, catching that, nods again.

‘It’s only my theory, but it’s possible that they go after people with clearest sounds specifically because they want to get it. I’ve seen them reacting to a Singer before.’ he smiles softly. ‘As long as there’s no Puppetmaster, they will swarm to the Singer, but none of them will look willing to attack; it’s more like, they want to be close to the Song, even if that Song destroys their bodies. That’s why Field Support almost always have a Song with themselves.’

‘Field Support?’

Shu nods.

‘Teams that go out onto Field, not to fight, but to help.’ he smiles softly, looking above Sora’s right shoulder. ‘Your Songs look a bit like theirs do. They cheer living people on, and give peace to those fallen, making sure they won’t return on the other side.’

Sora nodded slowly. That... was actually fine. He didn’t mind if his Songs had that kind of power. But still, not everybody would be willing to see this power of his like that.

‘It still is...’ he starts, searching for the correct word. Scary? No, music was terrifying, but it was a good kind of thrill, at least to him. Risky? Disturbing? ‘It feels wrong to use the Songs I’m not even the owner of.’

Shu ‘ah’s, before bending slightly towards him. Sora no longer finds that endangering.

‘I think I know what you mean.’ Shu looks at him, and there is no judgement. ‘But perhaps I can change your perspective a little. By Composing, we bring the Song to a plane where the Singer, the rightful owner, is capable of grasping it. If you look at it like that, we’re just bending branches of the tree for the owner to start picking fruits from it.’

He straightens up.

‘Though that’s obviously requiring agreement of the owner for us to enter their orchard in the first place.’ he smiles, and something in this smile is both happy for Sora and sad for himself. ‘And if the orchard belongs to more than one person, we might play the mediator, who will join all the owners together, but that’s a big step. You know what I mean, don’t you?’

Sora did. Shu saw not only single melodies around him, but also whole Songs, with all five voices (four visible for Sora, because of course, nothing can be easy, and his own voice is visible for him as the gaps inbetween other voices. Frustrating as all heck) coming together, empowering it. Before he’s able to realize it is kind of sensitive question, he asks.

‘Were you one? Mediator, I mean.’

Shu looks at him surprised, and then again smiles gently.

‘You can check that for yourself. Don't worry,’ he adds, seeing Sora’s expression, ‘I’m with you, so even if you let go of your talent, we can blame it all on me. Not that anybody will notice you letting go, not behing my protections.’

And Sora realizes that it’s actually true, that even if his talents slips completely, all people - well, mostly vampires - capable of sensing Composers will assign it to Shu and his naturally more potent aura. He sighs with unbridled relief as he lets his sight free, lets his vision drown in tones, notes, phrases and Songs.

Those surrounding Shu are curious. While one has a very stabile connection with its’ Composer, the... one? Two? One and a bit? piece of Song is still hanging like a loose thread, unable to separate from its’ Composer, but also not attached completely, and Sora suddenly connects it with small comment from Shu at the start of their talk.

‘You haven’t met them yet?’

Shu nods, hand extending as if to brush the loose Song gently- even if they had material form, he wouldn’t be able to do it, though, lack of second attachment making it slip away from the touch. There’s yearning in Shu’s eyes.

‘Not all of them, at least.’ he then smiles, and Sora 's stare naturally travels to that one thread much closer to other Composer. ‘And the one I’ve met is still training. I don’t want to distract him from it.’

He chuckles suddenly.

‘Though I might have made a fool out of myself during our first meeting, because of his Song.’

Sora recalls his reunion with Morihito and scowls while nodding. He knew what the man in front of him was talking about.

‘I do plan to talk to him about it, once the time is right, though.’ Shu adds, and looks at Sora. ‘Maybe it’s a good idea for you to start there? I find your dedication to hiding impressive, but you won’t be able to suppress this talent all your life... at least I don’t think it would be a long and painless life.’

Sora looks away, but there’s still no judgement in Shu’s voice.

‘It’s normal for vampires to be Composers.’ human grumbles. ‘If I go and reveal myself, everybody is going to freak out.’

Shu chuckles suddenly, and Sora stares at him in disbelief.

‘Sorry,’ vampire covers his mouth, but his amusement is clear, ‘let’s just say that’s the first time I was considered ‘normal’ Composer. Besides me and you, I know about exactly two more with our skill, you see.’

He hums in thought.

‘But it’s true that even Tsukino-san is a dhampire, so I can see where that „everybody” is coming from. But,’ here, Shu once more focuses on him, ‘Don’t you already have people who do not „freak out”, as you call it?’

‘Yeah, but it’s because they’ve known for forever- one is my Singer!’ Sora protests, realizing as soon as the words left his mouth, what Shu was hinting at. ‘They knew, and got used to it...’

‘Exactly.’ Shu looks at the sheet of water he created at the entrance of the alley, and Sora automatically follows his line of sight, but sees nothing. ‘It seems our chat will have to end soon.’

‘Huh?’

‘While we’re here, maybe let me give you small advice.’ Shu turns to him. ‘You don’t have to let go of all your covering at once. Start with embracing one Song, focusing all your attention on it. Then, if you gradually spread your sight, people might not even notice something in you changed.’

He pauses.

‘Though you probably won’t be able to hide it from your Singers.’

Sora thinks about Soushi. About Ren and Nozomu, and finally, about Mori, distant, but only because that’s the best way to protect Sora.

‘That won’t be a problem.’ he says without thinking. Shu smiles, but before they’re able to continue, there’s voice on the other side of the sheet - if he’s honest, Sora is kind of curious how they were left unbothered for this long. He’s distracted by a very familiar Song assisting a simple phrase on the other side of the water sheet.

‘Shu-sama? It seems a friend of the boy you’ve informed us about is here, and meeting of the Highs also is going to start soon.’

‘I see, thank you, Mari.’ Shu looks at Sora. ‘Ready to go?’

Sora suppresses the Sight and the pressure in his head is instantly back; then, he hesitates, and lets his talent out, just enough to easily see the Song on the other side of the barrier. It has a strong, steady beat. In a way, like a heart.

Sora nods, and Shu smiles at him.

*

Of course, Soushi is both parts angry and worried, finding Sora hidden behind a barrier made with High powers, but the sight of the brooch on both his own guide and the vampire with Sora calms him down- Izumi’s were known to stick to themselves, especially when feeding. Sora himself looked well-enough for Soushi to just drop the matter, and the vampire didn’t stop them beyond giving them a small warning of keeping away from the western side of the shelter, where the gathering of Highs would take place. He had his eyes pointedly on Sora, but Soushi quickly realized his childhood friend isn’t tense with attention and the innuendo directed at him.

For somebody with a surprising knack for getting into trouble when they were younger, Sora developed quite good survival instincts, so Soushi lets it go.

They get back to their class’ gathering spot using the less crowded side alleys, in surprising silence. Sora seemed to be mulling something over, but Soushi definitely didn’t expect what the young Composer asked next.

‘Sou? Will it be fine if I Compose your Song?’

Did he hear correctly? Sora embracing his talent? Finally stopping to hurt himself by completely shutting himself off away from it? As if hearing his thoughts, Sora quickly adds:

‘Only yours! And only one Song! I don’t want to make a weapon out of you or anyth-’

Soushi cuts him off by chopping his head. Sora yelps.

‘I thought you’ll never ask, idiot.’ Soushi says fondly, for once letting go of his smirk to smile at pouting Sora with honesty. ‘You know how guilty I felt about my Song causing your headaches?’

‘It’s more because of your chops, though...’

Soushi hits him again, lightly, but Sora still whines.

*

On the western side of the Shelter, the gathering of Highs was at its’ peak, but Shu had a hard time paying attention to it. It seemed that the object, or rather, a person distracting him also had a hard time focusing, if his Song was anything to go by. It worried, it missed, it yearned, even if at the same time, it tried to keep itself hidden, meaning its’ owner tried to shy away from the one his Sound connected him to.

Shu makes up his mind.

If he hasn’t met Sora just before the meeting, he might have missed the Song, almost all of the Highs having rather developed phrases, some even having them imbued into Songs, courtesy of Shiki, but. Meeting the Composer of the Song makes you sensitive to this particular flavor permeating all of their present and future creations. And this Song was obviously imbued with cheerful breeze of the human Composer. Even if it shied from the coaxing of his presence on the other side of the town, and Shu sighs. In a perfect world, they would meet in school, discover they’re compatible and go from there, race of one and political standing of the other be damned, but. This wasn’t perfect world.

As it was, after the meeting, he approaches the heir of Arihara family. He can see the teen stiffening, when hearing Shu calling his name, and he can also see the father of younger vampire pushing him forward after hissing something into his ear - no doubt order along the lines of „make a good impression” or such. Poor boy.

‘Would you mind a short walk with me?’

‘Of course not, Izumi-sama.’

Kind Song. Nothing like the powerful but cheerful breeze of Sora. Probably meant to balance the Composer. Support him. Yeah, that was probable, and much needed, if Sora was to break through his writing block.

They go out onto the unused balcony, overseeing the glyph walls of the shelter. The energies condensed there make it hard to breathe, but also hard to spy on them. Shu leans over the barrier and looks up at the stars- the meeting lasted well into night.

‘Izumi-sama?’

‘Ah, sorry.’ while the balcony made it harder to spy on them, it’s still not impossible, so, he probably should pick his words carefully. ‘I was just thinking, the sky is beautiful.’

He gets enlightened as a very confused Morihito agrees politely with him. Shu smiles, before moving his head to be able to observe younger vampire with corner of his eye. Teen stands at the door.

‘And so is Sky’s Song.’

Arihara stiffens. Good, he caught the pun.

‘What do you mean?’ he keeps his voice level, but Shu sees the tension.

‘I know it feels like a dead end for you, but if you could come here and close the door, I could explain. Without endangering certain Composer, if you know what I mean.’

He lets the other take his time. It’s not in High vampires nature to trust others easily, especially not the strangers they talk alone to for the first time in their lives. And not those who imply they know something about a secret you keep away even from your family. Because Shu is sure Sora wouldn’t be in school - or well, in any public place, if he is honest - if Arihara family realized he’s their son’s Composer.

‘I don’t plan on threatening you or him.’ he adds, still more in the direction of the sky than the other vampire. ‘Some things are sacred beyond position of High, you know, and music is one of them.’

‘Who are you?’ Morihito asks, standing just in front of the closed door. Shu smiles. That was a good place to start.

‘Izumi Shu, High Guardian and Head of the Izumi Group.’ he turns to face the other completely. ‘Also, Composer, much older than the one your Song is connected to.’

Arihara blinks.

‘That’s how-’

‘More or less. Your school is on trip here, right?’ Shu asks and Mori nods, eyes widening. ‘It’s okay, he didn’t get into any trouble.’

Shu doesn’t mention it’s because he found Sora before troubles did but well. No need to worry youngster in front of him. More than he already is, that is.

‘What do you want?’ he’s still tense and distrustful. Well, obviously, if somebody calls out to you, it’s to be expected that they want something from you, right? Shu ponders on the question for a moment.

‘For you not to hide from him.’

Other vampire blinks, it’s obvious he didn’t expect this kind of request.

‘If I don’t, he’ll be in trouble.’ Mori measures him with a leveled look. ‘You know who he is.’

Human Composer, yes, Shu very much knew what the other implied. Anomaly, which everyone will look forward to using.

But specifically because of that, Composer and his Singers must be on the same page.

‘I don’t mean to encourage you to show off your connection.’ Shu says slowly. ‘Just... acknowledge it. Don’t shut it out completely. Show him it’s okay. You know what he tries to do, don’t you? That he shuts his sound down by force.’

‘I know.’ unexpectedly Morihito laughs a bitter laugh, a sound filled with self-hatred, hand coming to his chest, and crumpling the shirt. ‘I am the reason he’s like that, after all.’

Shu catches sounds of paper crumpling, and coupled with pained, yet extremely fond expression of the other vampire...

‘He Composed something for you.’

Morihito just nods, but leaves the door to lean on a barrier next to Shu. Judging by the way his Song changed, it was something that was kept bottled up for years.

‘He doesn’t remember that, though, he got drugged moments afterwards. We kidnapped him.’ he smiles bitterly at the sky. ‘The nine year old kid, surrounded by vampires, all more powerful than him, and yet all wanting his power. And that kid, instead of feeling terror, asks if this is mine.’

He pulls out a paper worn with use, with a phrase written on a hastily scribbled five lines marking a scoresheet. Within a second, Shu knows it’s part of a melody surrounding Morihito.

‘I didn’t realize what he meant by that until he’s asked me about my Song, much later, just as we were getting him out.’

‘We?’ Mori looks alerted at him, but Shu shakes his head. ‘Sorry, it doesn’t matter. But, if you helped Sora get out, then why-’

‘Because the vampires we worked with planned a battue once he escaped, that made him shut down.’ Morihito looks with despair at Shu, before looking to the ground. ‘And I didn’t stop it.’

Shu hums.

‘If I get close, they will just corner him again. If I stay like this, I can redirect them for as long as-’

‘It’s impossible.’ very calmly interrupts Shu. ‘You cannot stay parallel to your Composer once you’ve come into contact with them; it will kill them, eventually.’

‘What do you mean.’ Mori’s answer is sharp, but instead of explaining, Shu looks down at the scribbled notes.

‘You can read that?’

‘I-why is that even the question?’

‘Good.’ Shu smiles. ‘From what I’ve caught, Sor- your Composer has met all of his Singers already, but neither seemed to possess capability of letting the Song he could Compose out. Having even one Singer capable of that will greatly ease the burden.’

He once more turns to the stars.

‘If he Composed that phrase of yours all those years ago, his sight is pretty advanced by now. If he lets that talent flow, he’ll have your Songs ready in no time.’ he side-eyes Mori. ‘He doesn’t want them or you to become weapons, but that doesn’t mean they cannot become his power, or trump card against people wanting to use him, if you know what I mean.’

‘What you mean...’ Morihito parrots his last words, and Shu smiles, noticing flash of understanding in the green eyes.

‘It’s not a matter of now, not until he reigns in his talent. But, when he does, it would do him good to have an ally knowing the ins and outs of vampire politics.’ Shu says calmly. Noticing Mori's conflicted expression, he adds. ‘Think that through and move carefully, but let me tell you, Songs are worth much more than your family's opinion.’

‘Personal experience?’

Shu smiles wryly.

‘No, but my big brother figure’s.’ he gets away from a barrier. ‘If we stay here much longer it'll become suspicious. If you get asked what I wanted to talk to you, just say I was interested in your ideas.’

He stops as a thought occurs to him.

‘And if they caught that we were talking Songs, make them feel as if I caught on to the things your group did after you kidnapped your Composer. It will make everyone more careful, so also much slower in action. Will make it easier for you to control how close they get to him.’

‘One last question, Izumi-san.’ Mori rushes to his side, but stops himself from catching his arm. ‘Why do this?’

Shu looks at him for a long time.

‘Because I’m also Composer. And that means, I want to hear your Songs.’ he answers simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> I hope you caught it, but the main difference between Singers and Composers and other people is that they see Songs as works of art first, weapons second. It's why Shu's able to gain Sora's trust, because he advices on getting the Songs finished safely, rather than on how to use them for power gain. After all, what's the point of the Song you don't enjoy, right?
> 
> For real now, third chapter will be released next weekend, if not on the very day of Sora's birthday. Will try to update MnK around that time as well, provided boys (Ryota) will stop interrogating Mamoru xD


	3. Douse nara ima kara kaze ni natte miyou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love the vibe of that title like 'Screw the humanity, might as well become the wind'  
> Very fitting.
> 
> Happy Birthday Sora(in Japan, at least), enjoy with your four bffs! (and two bfs, I don't judge)

Because of the happenings on a shelter trip -field trip got a completely different meaning in their world, after all - Sora’s and Soushi’s families decide it will be safer for him to stay home with a „cold” during the once-a-trimester gathering of the students, where both vampires and humans could bring up an issue or poise a question to one another, as well as the board.

For the first time in his life, Sora doesn’t mind. His headaches don’t subdue completely, but lessen considerably with him focusing on Soushi’s Songs. What was much more important was that the aforementioned Songs, one specifically, seemed to take shape right in front of his very eyes, and all Sora had to do was grasp it and put it into a world of black and white sheet of paper.

In theory.

The sounds fell apart when he grasped too hard, or slipped away if he picked them too carefully, making him cross out the phrases more often than to leave them be, a frustrating process of repetitive jot and scratch.

He’s never had more fun before.

The sounds changing into phrases, then changing into a Song, new but somehow so completely Soushi, made him feel like he belonged, like he finally was not just a kid held and holding back for his own protection.

He still has to hold back when he comes back and meets Mori by accident, which isn’t easy. As cautious as his Singers are, their Songs gravitate towards each other, as is in the nature of the connected sounds. And that leaves him to watch the Songs tangle together while Soushi, all polite smiles and calculating eyes, makes small talk with Morihito in Sora’s place. They need to do that to make sure they keep their distance, but that distance isn’t too unusual for classmates. Which is surprisingly easy, Mori going along with it, and making sure to distract his own cohorts as soon as they appear, making Sora safe.

Vampire’s eyes also changed, and while they still have this shadow of dullness that caught Sora’s attention, they seem to show conviction of some kind as well, when looking at him. The pull of the Songs weren’t the only thing that changed, it seemed.

Sora finishes Soushi’s Song just as the new school year rolls in, and they get new students appearing on the corridors.

And with this, Sora’s status as Composer gets exposed once more. Or, more like, he exposes it, to his final Singer by the name of Nanase Nozomu.

While they got to know about his existence back in middle school already, and Sora got to confirm the guy has no respect for him, they never really talked about Songs. Although Sora expected it will eventually come up in their talks, especially since Nozomu has become a support crutch for Ren’s self-confidence.

As a result, he also becomes part of their little group, once the duo becomes high-schoolers. Ren is too shy to approach higher classes, so it’s Nozomu dragging him into Soushi’s and Sora’s classroom at the start of the term, air sensor looking ready to combust at the attention they gather, and Nozomu bathing in the spotlight. Soushi and Sora exchange looks and, as casual as possible, grab two vampires and march them to the rooftop, where Ren can cool of and Soushi can freely scold Nozomu, younger vampire actually having a shadow of respect towards the Hunter.

(Sora finds it unfair.)

Still, it makes things easier.

Nozomu comes from the family that were to become Highs within this generation, but he didn’t behave like that at all, most of his attention on Ren, and most of his affection on friends, real friends he’s made. For somebody really loud and REALLY book dumb (seriously, even Sora wasn’t THAT bad, and Soushi called him stupid all the time), he’s had an amazing instincts when it came to the people getting close to him purely for the influence’s sake, and discouraged them with amazing efficiency. He also had a visible soft spot for Ren, if his voice quieting minimally whenever he asked something of his friend was anything to go by, and his surprising attentiveness to Ren’s words. He even waited for Ren to gather his thoughts, something he didn’t do for practically anyone (Soushi was an exception, but Sora strongly suspected beginnings of hero worship- his childhood friend started being assigned as Support to Field missions quite regularly, and while they were mostly patrols, the sentence ‘I was on the Field’ held certain level of value in the school).

That didn’t stop Nozomu from staring at Sora slack-jawed one cloudy day near the end of trimester, when he and Ren practically had to evacuate Composer onto rooftop.

The attack of pain came from nowhere, if Sora was being honest.

The headaches eased with him focusing on Soushi’s melodies, and the dull pressure he felt because of cutting off other parts of his sight he could live with, or so he thought. Then, one moment he was chatting with his friends on the corridor, the next he was excusing himself with a smile, saying he needed air, through the veil of red pain that threatened to make him go blind. Soushi was nowhere to be found, yet another request for assistance causing his absence, meaning he was on his own...

Suddenly, familiar shy melody and dull bass were accompanying him and in the next moment, he felt air on his face, and let go of his sight to see two of his connected Songs, tangling worriedly above him. Soushi probably returned to his middle-school system, where he left Sora under careful watch of Ren’s sensory powers, and that was what saved him this time.

‘Sora-senpai?’ Ren asks quietly- he’s caught on to Sora being sensitive to sound back in their childhood, didn’t he. ‘Are you better now? You didn’t answer us at all.’

‘A-ah. Sorry. I’m... fine now, mostly.’

Which actually was a lie, because while the dull pressure eased, and so did pain splitting his head in half, it didn’t disappear completely, and Sora frowns.

Melodies were swimming freely around him, and he didn’t hold any of them back, so why-?

‘Whoa, Sora-senpai, your eyes look like they’re pools of energy!’

‘Nozomu, shhh! Senpai’s got a headache, probably.’

He can’t help it, he smiles.

‘Ren is really too kind to be walking on this earth, how come you’re the kendo school successor?’

Ren stammers something, and Sora shifts.

‘Sorry for worrying you.’ he presses a hand to his temple. ‘Yeah, it’s the headache.’

He glares.

‘And it is partially Nozomu’s fault.’

‘See?’

‘How?! When we met you you were already looking like you didn’t see a thing around yourself!’ Nozomu whines, and Sora huffs.

‘Your Song, obviously.’ then, he stops abruptly. ‘Wait. We never said anything about that, right.’

‘What about? Song? If you wanna hear one, we can go to plaza later, I heard they are purifying the shelter-’ Nozomu misunderstands, and Sora is very tempted to roll with it, but. He notices Ren’s eyes, shining with silver of his sensoric powers, and decides against it. Wanting to hear purification didn’t excuse why his own eyes looked like condensed energy, after all, and even if Ren wouldn’t question him, Sora was pretty sure air changed around liars, and young sensor would be able to catch it.

‘Not other’s Song, idiot Nozomu.’ he sighs. ‘Your Song. The thing stuck around you, the bass one. The one tangled with Ren-kyun over there, the one connected with Sou, the one I’m the Composer of.’

He speeds up, afraid that the words will get stuck in his throat if he doesn’t spill them out quick enough.

‘Composer?’ Nozomu doesn’t catch on, but Ren gasps. Predictable, sometimes he feels Ren has enough braincells for the two of them.

‘You mean the headaches-’

‘Ah, no.’ Sora waves his hands, movement slowing down as he realizes he will need to explain more. ‘Not entirely. When I don’t stifle sight, nothing happens, but when I try to hide it, the Songs end up... you could say trapped?’

He scratches back of his head, then winces.

‘Though this one is not caused by that, I can tell.’

‘But... Sora-san, you love music, you always did.’ Ren says, and he can hear confusion. ‘Why would try to trap it?’

‘It’s complicated.’ Sora warns. Nozomu snorts. ‘Hey!’

‘Ren is probably the smartest out of the three of us here, there’s no way there’s something you can say he won’t understand!’ Nozomu says with pride unbefitting boasting not your own achievements, but then again. Everybody wanted to boast about Ren, Sora can attest to that. Well, everybody not Ren. He mostly blushes, like just now.

‘N-Nozomu...!’

‘Okay, smart guy.’ Sora huffs in Nozomu’s direction, feeling as headache eases. Huh, maybe it was stress-caused? But, it wouldn’t be so sudden then, right? He looks around just to make sure, but yes, the roof is void of people sans for them. Well, sans for Sora, but aside of Ren and Nozomu, there were no vampires as well, so. He could presume it was a safe space for now.

‘I don’t only hear Songs. I can also see how they would look- er, sound - once they would be Sung. I can make them visible to others, too. And I can see who should Sing them.’

‘So like a Composer?’ Nozomu asks, and Sora looks at him unimpressed.

‘Thanks, Sherlock, I’ve just said I’m one.’ Nozomu opens his mouth again. ‘Yeah, I know it’s normally a vampire thing.’

Nozomu closes his mouth, then opens them again.

‘No, I have no idea how’s that possible either. It would make my life easier if I did.’ Sora says with a sigh, and Nozomu stares at him slack-jawed, no sound coming out. Sora decides to turn to Ren, who seemed to maintain some kind of focus despite his surprise.

‘I can Compose since I was a kid, that’s what all those kidnappers were after. Probably. The thing is, I also have Songs connected to me. And those Songs belong to other people, too. Erm, vampires, since two of them are yours, guys.’

‘Ours?’ Ren repeats, and Sora nods. ‘We’re your Singers? Sou-nii, too?’

Sora nods.

‘Yeah, Sou as well. There’s one more vampire, but... at the moment we’re not too close, for reasons.’

‘That still doesn’t explain why you stifle music, Sora-senpai.’ Ren says slowly.

‘I... you know how people perceive Songs, right? Like weapons.’ Sora says. ‘And my Songs are not that. At least I don’t think so, I write them with feelings like „I hope they’ll like it!” not „I hope they’ll blow up with it!”, you know? But, if somebody catches I can Compose them, it won’t matter what I think, right? They will use them. And because you’re their Singers, they will use you, too. And I don’t want that. So, it’s better they never appear- Ren-kyun?’

Ren stands up abruptly, hands fisted, some undecipherable shine in his eyes.

‘Sora-san, that’s- I appreciate your concern, but Songs are powerful, right? If you had them, and had all of us on your side, nobody would be able to tell you what to do with them!’

‘That’s the problem, too.’ Sora answers, looking up. ‘Lotsa stuff’s happening outside, right? How will it make you look if, because of me, you won’t-’

‘And who cares about it!’ Ren raises his voice. No, not screams, because Ren didn’t scream, usually, not at people not Nozomu, but definitely raises his voice, and his Song, still shy, actually gets louder for once. ‘Those are your Songs! And you should decide who can listen to them!’

‘They’re yours, too.’

‘Then I’m telling, I don’t mind you using mine.’ Ren returns rapidly. ‘Actually, no, more. Please, don’t make yourself hurt with it. If you need me to finish it, just say a word! You’re always saying we’re friends, right? So, please.’

He bows, and Sora is just too stunned to say anything back. Ren is panting, for sensors in general it wasn’t advised to lose their cool; that was why Ren was so particular about kendo and training his control and focus. Yet, here he was, losing just that, for the sake of words Sora should- no, _had to_ hear.

‘Ren-kyun...’

‘I-I’ll go cool off my head a bit.’ Ren says, face slightly flushed. ‘I’ll try to get back before break ends, but if I don’t, go back with Nozomu, alright?’

‘Oi, Ren!’

Before Nozomu can continue, Ren disappears at the exit from the rooftop. Vampire ruffles his hair irritated, before suddenly grinning. He turns to Sora.

‘Sora-senpai, Sora-senpai! Your headache is fine now, right?’

‘Eh? Ah, uh, more or less?’

‘Great, that means, you can tell me more about this whole Song thing? I don’t think I get it at all, but it sounds cool!’

‘Ah, but Ren-’

‘He’ll be fine.’ with surprising amount of confidence returns Nozomu. ‘He’s Ren. He doesn’t get into trouble.’

‘Contrary to us.’ almost unconsciously fills in Sora. He’s heard Soushi say that line enough times to literally hear him in his head. He sighs. ‘Alright, I guess.’

‘Yatta! So, what’s this about Composer’s Singers?!’

*

Ren didn’t cool his head off. In fact, he probably didn’t need to cool it off at all, he understood things with surprising clarity, wind whispering with cues only sensor can pick.

He knew for as long as he knew Sora-senpai and Sou-nii, that the three of them are connected through something. It was in the air around all of them, just out of reach, no matter how much he focused on his talent as a sensor. He was frustrated when he couldn’t figure it out by the time they had to separate their ways, and was pretty shocked to notice Nozomu carried something very similar himself. Well, it helped him in opening up to other vampire, his curiosity beating his shyness, so in that aspect, it was a blessing.

He trained dutifully, but even then, when he became able to almost completely reign his talent in (navigating air in big groups of overemotional people was still a bit of a stretch) he couldn’t figure out what that feeling was, and neither his sensor teachers nor books on sensory talents said anything about it.

Now he knew why.

If the thing he felt at the verge of his senses were Songs that Sora-senpai was Composer of, Songs indirectly connected to Ren himself, chances were pretty big no other sensor has ever encountered this feeling. Even if they did, it was possible they tried to keep it a secret, to avoid endangering themselves... or their Composer. If they had special situation, like, for example, being human.

Ren picks his pace up. The break was going to end soon, after all.

There was also one other way they could be protecting that Composer of theirs, and that would be by staying away from them, to keep them under the radar of other vampires- they were distrustful race, after all, not counting exceptions like Nozomu, obviously, but then again, his instincts...

Ren cuts off his train of thought once he notices the big group of vampires, just at the end of the corridor he just entered. He focuses on his sensory powers once more.

Now that he knew what it was, sensation of something tickling his consciousness is almost pleasant. Or well, would be, if Ren’s suspicions as to why Sora-senpai has said ‘not too close, for reasons’ about his final Singer weren’t confirmed.

Sora-senpai’s final Singer was a High vampire.

And not just-barely High, the way Nozomu were to become very soon, but the we’ve-been-High-for-centuries type of High, if stories of the Arihara house were true. Ren slowly moves towards the group, trying not to let his doubts gnaw at his resolve.

_What if he made a mistake?_

_What if he outs Sora-senpai?_

_What if the final Singer turns out to be evil, and not protective, as Ren suspects he is?_

‘Arihara Morihito-senpai?’ he calls over all of those questions, and circle of heirs of lesser and Higher families open to show the blond in glasses with politely interested, but otherwise dull eyes. ‘I’m 1-B Munakata Ren, we haven’t talked before.’

‘What do you want, brat? Don’t waste your elder’s time.’ snaps one of the Higher heirs, a beautiful girl air around whom makes Ren flinch away from her.

‘It’s okay, Kanao-san.’ Arihara-san has soft voice and air of the forests he took his name from in it. Suddenly, Ren is sure he got the right person, he guessed the final Singer correctly. ‘What it is? Munakata-kun?’

‘Ah, yes!’ he bows, ‘If I can, will you talk with me for a moment? I want to ask about Kagurazaka Soushi-senpai, he’s in your class. Please.’

_Please don’t know he was my Guard, please don’t know he was my Guard, please-_

‘I don’t mind, but I don’t know him really that well, either. You know, he’s a Hunter, and they need to be careful around us.’ there’s mix of surprise, confusion and curiosity in the air around him, even if Arihara-senpai’s tone is still just polite. Nobody noticed Ren is a sensor, which was working in his favor, if he was being honest.

Good, he needed any advantage in environment chock full of High auras, all of them trying to subtly dominate each other, get closer to Arihara-senpai, impress him. Preferably crush Ren, the weakest rival, yet currently holding all of Arihara-senpai’s attention.

‘That’s alright!’ Ren looks directly into green eyes, before (easily) faking slight discomfort and looking away. ‘It might be a bit unbefitting for this much people to hear, though, so...’

He doesn’t ask for change of locations, that would be asking too much at once. He knows Arihara-senpai looks at him (different to everybody else, who glares), before proposing.

‘I see it’s clearing outside. Shall we take a short walk before bell rings?’

Ren looks outside window and answers without much thinking.

‘Yes, please! Thank you very much!’

‘Okay?’ Arihara-senpai gathers himself quickly and turns to rest of his friends- were they friends, though? ‘Please excuse us for a short while. I promise we will continue this interesting discussion.’

If it was interesting, he wouldn’t take Ren’s offer, he also wouldn’t propose they take walk in the courtyard where splotches of sun were already spreading, making most vampires uncomfortable to be outside for too long.

Ren didn’t mind, mostly because he got used to it as a child, running after Soushi, in turn running after Sora, trying to keep him out of trouble.

Those were simpler days.

‘What was it that you wanted to know? Munakata-kun?’ Arihara-senpai prompts once they are outside and Ren’s senses tell him they really are out of earshot of people and vampires at school.

‘That- I’m very sorry, senpai,’ Ren fists his hands, before standing in front of the older vampire and bowing, ‘I lied. I know who Sou-nii is. I meant to talk to you about Oohara Sora... Sora-senpai.’

He doesn’t raise his head, but even then he can feel change from surprise to wariness, and before it can turn to hostility, he quickly spills.

‘I’m the same as you. Sora-senpai’s Singer. That’s why, I wanted to confirm few things.’

He can feel his relief seeping into air as, after few very tense moments, he hears Arihara-senpai sigh and ask.

‘And those things would be?’

*

Beyond Sora informing Soushi that he’s told Ren and Nozomu about their connection to him and Ren apologizing for snapping in his usual, flustered way, they all practically brushed that day’s happening under the rug, Sora deciding to give peace to figuring out the origin of that splitting headache.

This lasts all the way up to the next school assembly all four- all five of them attend.

There is more and more reported cases of the Marionettes, and rumors about western nest’s protections, holding it at bay for over three decades, starting to weaken, then about the party send to investigate it going MIA. Vampires blame humans, humans blame vampires, but with teachers evenly representing both parties and headmaster being a dhampire himself, somehow it didn’t get out of hand beyond the hot debate.

At the end of assembly, there were time for requests, but with all the tensions, nobody expected any hands to raise. That’s why, when one appeared from the direction of first-years’ seats, and teacher called out the name, everybody fell silent.

‘Munakata Ren from 1-B.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Ren confirms, as was customary, before coming forward, into space reserved for those requesting. Headmaster looks at him curiously.

‘What it is that you wanted to ask?’

‘Sir.’ Ren bows, before turning in the direction where all of second-years sat. Sora suddenly became aware Ren looks at him and Soushi with a nervous smile.

‘I would like to request hunter Kagurazaka Soushi to form a Guardian pact with me.’

There’s a whisper of surprise and shock, Sora is sure he hears few bags dropping to the ground, but all he can see is encouraging smile Nozomu throws his friend, and Ren’s own tense yet decided posture.

Then, Soushi stands from his seat next to Sora.

‘Kagurazaka Soushi, class 2-A.’ he confirms his identity, before making his way to the centre of the gym the assembly took place at. ‘I absolutely don’t mind, but, I must ask. Ren, why?’

He stands in front of the smaller vampire.

‘Your family home and dojo is in the district reserved for vampires, you don’t need pact to move around there, the way to school is also included, isn’t it?’ he asks, and Ren slowly nods. ‘You are also not the type to frequent outside attractions, and I honestly don’t see why you’d have to bind yourself to me again?’

He ignores the whisper of surprise coming from the vampire part of the audience, only now realizing they aren’t strangers, and waits patiently for an answer. Ren seems to gather his resolve, yet again.

‘All of it is true... but only until my Composer won’t need me. Until they don’t choose the way they want to let their talent flow.’ he finally says, then raises his voice over sudden noise in the hall. ‘I need to be able to stay by his side and support him then, right? And I don’t know where his life will take him.’

Soushi stares at him dumbfounded, or at least so hopes Sora. He knows he does. Did Ren just proclaim himself Singer in front of the whole school? More, did he just say he will stand by Sora, no matter what happens?

He feels tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. Ren, looking barely twelve, is already ready to support Sora in whatever way he needs... he automatically looks at Nozomu, who, noticing his stare, raises both thumbs up.

Then, he hears Soushi’s chuckle. He turns back to the scene in front of him in time to see hunter ruffling Ren’s hair fondly.

‘As always surprising me in the best way possible, aren’t you, Ren.’ he takes his hand away from vampire’s head. Ren pouts at him, patting his hair down. ‘Alright, I’ll become your Guard again. Did you choose a High to supervise formation? Nanase still has a bit to go for ascension, doesn’t he?’

‘Ah, that’s...’ Ren hesitates, but there’s a voice once again speaking from the sophomores’ seats.

‘If you don’t mind me taking the position, I’ll be glad to assist.’ Morihito raises from his seat, then states the obvious. ‘Arihara Morihito, class 2-A.’

‘Yes, please.’ Ren quickly says, then adds, much shyer, in direction of Soushi. ‘Is this okay?’

Soushi blinks in direction of Morihito, then looks at Ren, as if connecting the dots. Then, he sighs.

‘Since when did you know, Ren?’

‘He came asking me about it few weeks ago, Kagurazaka-kun.’ Morihito intercepts, voice neutral, smile polite. If you didn’t know, you’d never guess the three of them weren’t talking about pact...

Sora doubles over in his seat, trying to muffle hysterical cackle.

His Singers ganged up on him in the best way possible.

*

He is asked to come assist Soushi in the pact forming happening the next day, which is absolute and utter bullshit, because the pact is something a three year old Ren and four year old Soushi, barely able to pronounce the words, did without much fuss under the eye of Yayoi family representative all these years ago. No, the pact was a cover up, and he knows what it is about the second Soushi seals the door to the room prepared for it, successfully preventing anybody from interrupting or listening in on them, and Nozomu jumps up from behind Ren, while Morihito smiles at him from the faraway corner. How vampires managed to convince Soushi to their plan within not even twenty four hours since Ren proclaimed that he needs a pact for the sake of his Composer is beyond him.

It doesn’t really matter, not when he’s surrounded by the people who won’t be freaked out at his eyes shining with reflection of the melodies surrounding them, won’t be weirded out by him talking about their melodies, and won’t want to use him, because he wouldn’t use them.

They don’t talk until the pact is formed, Ren’s hand held by Soushi, a bracelet-like tattoo appearing on his wrist afterwards, marking the whole thing as successful, just as Sora predicted. Still, he didn’t predict four pair of eyes turn simultaneously to stare at him.

‘What?’

‘That’s our line, idiot.’ Soushi instantly returns. ‘What was that about not using us as weapons and getting split head as a result?’

‘Uh, Sou? I’ve never told you-’

‘It doesn’t take a genius to put your thought processes together. And, in case you didn’t notice, I already told you I don’t mind, since I’m out on the Field much more than anybody would like to at our age.’ Soushi briefly explains, side-eyeing Morihito.

‘I was approached by Head of Izumi Group, who said the same thing.’ vampire speaks up, but when Sora looks at him, not understanding, he adds. ‘His name is Izumi Shu.’

Sora processes. Then squeaks.

‘He didn’t even mention it!’

‘Wait, you’ve met in person?’ Ren looks at him, mix of wonder and shock on his face. ‘He’s older than all of us!’

‘Not only that.’ Morihito adds slowly. ‘I dug into the archives after we talked, and... it turns out, he was co-Composer of the Song of the Seven. He worked on it with another Composer, since they both were also its’ Singers.’

‘Some crazy new friends you have, Sora-senpai.’ Nozomu grins, delighted by the situation.

‘He didn’t tell me... Soushi, you saw him, right?!’

‘And even recognized.’ Soushi groans, seeing Sora’s stare. ‘C’mon, you couldn’t have missed this giant ass mark of Izumis he wore!’

‘He did?!’

‘...Forget I’ve said anything. So? You had something to add, Arihara?’

‘Ah, no, I mean. Yes, I had.’ Morihito fumbles. ‘But it’s kind of...’

‘A thing that shouldn’t leave this room?’ Soushi supplies and Morihito nods. ‘No problem, most of the stuff we talk about right now is like that.’

‘That’s also true...’ Morihito smiles briefly. ‘Well, then.’

He turns to Sora, and pulls out a very worn out paper. Offering it to the human, he says.

‘I don’t think you remember it, but thank you for showing me how it feels to have your Song Composed. I hope you can eventually show me the continuation of this one.’

Sora reaches for the paper with childish scribble of a scoresheet. Did he-

His doubts wash away as he looks at three bars written on the paper. Bars representing the phrase swimming around Morihito, even now.

It was Song destined to be Composed by him. There was no way anybody else would be able to write it down, which meant, all this time, Morihito held on to the scribble of nine-year old Sora, showing just a piece of Song that was rightfully his, while keeping the current Sora safe by never asking about it...

‘Are you a masochist, Mori?’ he asks, and vampire stutters, while Soushi snorts.

‘Are you the one to ask that?’

‘No, not really.’ Sora slowly admits, letting his sight out, and simultaneously reaching for the pencil.

The Song he caught when he was nine, to a seventeen year old Sora is too obvious to bother with trial and error. He just jots it down, one by one, and moments later, he has a Song written down, up to first refrain.

‘Sorry for the wait.’ he answers, showing the scribble to a stunned vampire. ‘Will get the rest soon.’

‘Ah, I didn’t mean to rush you-’ Mori stops after one look into Sora’s eyes. They were shining. Composer turns to the rest of the room.

‘I think... I want to write this melody first, though.’ he says, looking at all of his Singers, sitting around him. Soushi sighs.

‘I thought I will never hear you say it again.’ he says fondly. Sora blinks at him.

‘Again?’

‘You were rambling about Composing all our childhood. You think why I had to shut you up all the time?’ Soushi quirks his eyebrow and Sora massages his head, memory of all those chops coming back all at once.

‘It hurt, you know.’

‘It was supposed to hurt.’

‘A-Anyway, Sora-senpai.’ Ren intrudes on their staring match, reflexively massaging his wrist. ‘Can we help in any way?’

Sora shakes his head. Seriously, why Ren was so precious.

‘You’re helping just by being.’

‘Seems like that’s common Composer sense.’ Morihito muses. Noticing their stares, he explains. ‘Izumi-san has said similar thing to me. That Singers should be at their Composer’s side. But, in my case...’

He drifts off and all of them know what he means. Him being close to Sora would be equal parts helpful and harmful. All of Kagurazaka protections were set to keep High vampires away from Sora - nobody predicted one of his Singers would be a High, though! Well, two, but only after Nanases’ ascension. For now, Mori was the main problem. Or, was he really?

‘How about... we use it instead?’ Ren speaks up softly. He blushes under their stares, but goes for it still. ‘Arihara-senpai’s position.’

‘It’s not something that’s easily used.’

‘But you were already doing it. If you didn’t, all those vampires around you would also know about Sora-senpai.’

‘Munakata-kun, just... what are you?’ Morihito asks, and Ren flushes.

‘Just Ren is alright. I’m...’ he looks questioningly at Soushi, and his newly appointed Guard nods, ‘I’m an air-oriented sensor. I catch people’s auras, whisper of their emotions, sometimes parts of their talks. I think... I also sense presence of Sora-senpai’s Songs.’

‘What?!’ Sora jumps and Ren flinches, before hurriedly explaining.

‘That’s how I knew who Arihara-senpai was.’

‘If we are to call you Ren, then call me by my name as well.’ Morihito offers with small smile that quickly changes to thoughtful frown. ‘I was sure Sora told you, since I saw you with him and Soushi around...’

He chuckles.

‘We were lucky vampires at that day weren’t too observant, or your excuse to get me alone would be found out quite easily.’

‘That day?’ Sora looks between Ren and Morihito. Younger vampire blushes bright red.

‘When I went to cool my head off after you told us we’re your Singers... in reality I went to talk to Ari- to Morihito-senpai.’

‘I told you Ren was smartest out of us three then!’ Nozomu proudly proclaims to Sora. Soushi shakes his head.

‘It’s not something you should be proud of, you know.’ he sighs. ‘Back to the topic. Arihara, is what Ren said true? I know you kept your distance from Sora before, but aside of that...’

‘My offer to go on the first name basis extends to everyone in here, Kagurazaka-kun.’ Mori answers softly, and Soushi inclines his head.

‘Then, Morihito.’ he pauses. ‘I guess we shouldn’t show that familiarity in public, but when we’re alone, feel free to go on the first name with me as well. I know you want to protect Sora, so I guess we’re on the same side.’

He adds, seeing surprised expression on the High’s face. Morihito smiles.

‘Then, with your permission... Ren is right, Soushi. I... After that unfortunate... that’s a wrong word, but ever since vampires decided to make Sora’s talent public, I tried to mess with their accounts of it, to the point nobody would be sure if they even got the correct Oohara Sora on their radar. There are three more of that name, in different shelters, so I used that to confuse people.’ he explains, seeing Sora’s bewildered expression. Soushi purses his lips in thought.

‘That would explain why us transferring schools worked so well... Ren.’

‘Y-Yes?’

‘What did you have in mind, when talking about using Ari-Morihito’s position?’

‘That’s too long to say!’ Nozomu suddenly complains, before turning in Morihito’s overall direction. ‘Can we just call you Mori-senpai, senpai?’

‘N-Nozo-’

‘Ah, good one, Nozomu!’ Sora fake applauds younger vampire. ‘I was about to propose it as well.’

‘Oi, you two.’ Soushi growls. ‘We’re not here to give each other nicknames-’

‘I don’t mind.’ newly christened Mori smiles slightly. ‘That’s the first time somebody gives me a nickname. Although it’s probably wise if we keep to the same rule Soushi proposed. Only when there’s no outsiders, call me Mori, alright?’

‘Roger that!’ Nozomu salutes, Sora cheers, Ren and Soushi facepalm.

‘Ren? Can you continue now?’ the latter asks the former, and air sensor nods.

‘I was thinking... what about forming an unit? Pretend unit, if we have to.’ he quickly adds, noticing Sora’s darkening face. ‘Arihara family isn’t known for their Field expertise but for their research, so experimental unit, with experimental Songs, overseen by the heir...’

‘I... see where are you going with it.’ Mori crosses his arms in thought, then hums. ‘In current political situation it will be hard to convince the whole family to a mixed project, but...’

‘Or maybe make it your personal project.’ Soushi suggests. ‘When we were nine you were allowed into laboratory already, so I guess you are already at the age where you could have your own ideas and want to try them out individually? I will support this scenario on our side.’

‘Soushi...’ Mori looks at him for a while. Then looks down, at the page where the single phrase he’s held on to for eight years finally changed into a Song. Then he looks at Sora, and Sora looks back at him. Composer understood what his friends - he could call them that now, right? - tried to do, and honestly, was still shocked.

Could it really be this easy to let his Songs become reality without becoming weapons?

Mori then smiles.

‘I think it can work.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're playing timeline catch-up with this one, but we're close to matching Ariel and MnK... second half of both stories should run more or less as I planned from the start, parallel (took only three chapters to match it, lol)  
> Thanks for reading, and yeah, Ren is badass and also the only not-completely-a-mess member of Soara, and you won't convince me otherwise.


	4. Enrai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Concert time, yay!  
> Since end of week is twins' time, let's update Ariel and Mnk at the start! (Speaking of which, Mahou no Kizuna should be up in a few hours, I finished writing it yesterday night and still didn't manage to beta it and correct parts I'm not totally sold on)  
> Enjoy!

It takes a lot more meddling than Sora expected, but the plan Ren proposed and Soushi and Mori set into motion does work. They start by spreading rumors about a side-project of the Arihara heir and simultaneously, Kagurazakas move by assigning Soushi a position of overseer, a hunter responsible for observing actions of certain district’s vampires. The district, conveniently, was set to be their school. Then, Soushi and Morihito are found talking on the corridors, more and more, and the rumor of Mori’s idea being a mixed project gets added to the original one.

Then, Nozomu joins regular circle of the Highs regularly surrounding Morihito, and with him, Ren is also included. With his supervision of Ren’s Guard pact with Soushi, nobody can complain about his inclusion, even though Munakata was at best a middle-class family.

And then the whole story with heir of Okui returning happen, and the opportunity presents itself in the form of a send-off for the Third-year hunter party that would graduate and enter Field to help with keeping it under control, while the High councils of both hunters and vampires are abuzz with the information about formation of SolidS and their joining with Tsukino forces.

‘It’s our chance, Sora.’ Mori is excited and, for once, Soushi seems to share the sentiment. ‘Your Songs aren’t meant to fight, but they can support, right? I know the one you’ve made for me definitely cheered me on.’

He says it with the soft smile he reserves for when they are left in their small group, which recently is more and more often, vampires not willing to interrupt Mori’s project, afraid to get on his bad side. If he has one. Sora is not so sure of that, if he is honest.

‘So you want to show the project as support Songs made from humans’ and vampires’ sounds?’ Soushi fills in and Mori nods. ‘But we already checked only Sora and you are capable of Singing them. Won’t it expose too much?’

They agreed to keeping the Composer’s identity secret, even if better informed clans and families easily will catch on. It still meant only certain percentage of their listeners would know of Sora’s other talent, beyond Singing.

Still, going out in front of the whole school at the send-off assembly...

‘School is smaller version of society.’ quietly says Mori. ‘It’s a good place to test our plan, and still small enough for me and Soushi to manage damage control if something goes askew.’

‘I see.’ Soushi hums. ‘It's true I’d rather deal with few hundred of younger generation vampires and people, than go against the High Councils without testing the waters first.’

Sora nods slowly. Soushi and Mori were taking major part of the risk onto themselves regardless of the results... just so that Sora had nothing to worry about, when letting his Songs out.

A hand falls down directly onto top of his head.

‘Stop it.’ Soushi grumbles.

‘I didn’t do a thing!’ Sora massages his head. His headaches subsided almost completely, true, but that doesn’t mean he misses them!

‘You did worry about unnecessary things again.’ Soushi explains. ‘So, stop it.’

‘Sou, you big bully!’ Sora starts, but stops abruptly as a quiet chuckle appears next to him. Mori looks fondly at the two of them.

‘I’m kind of jealous.’ vampire admits softly. ‘This kind of relationship is impossible for me.’

‘Even though Nozomu has it?’ Sora asks before he can bite his tongue. Bad, bad mouth, spilling all his musings before consultation with his brain!

Mori hums thoughtfully.

‘I think... our situations are a bit different. Though,’ he smiles bitterly, ‘it can also be an excuse for myself not to change my behaviors. Recently, I attended a meeting of Highs where unusually a Takamura Head showed up. He rarely comes in person.’

He explains to their confused faces. Then sighs.

‘The point is, I saw him interact with his Changer, and it was enlightening. They behaved a bit like the two of you. Like they were willingly bound together.’

‘Mori.’ Soushi raises hand. ‘You do realize that legend of the Takamura Composer and his Changer is known even to hunters?’

‘It is?’ Mori sounds sincerely surprised. ‘He keeps so much to himself, I thought...’

‘Yeah, I know, but it’s kind of hard to forget about existence of pair that can change half of the battlefield into inferno.’ Soushi says. ‘But, while we’re at it, I’d like to remind you that technically you also have that kind of relationship. I’m no longer babysitting our Composer alone, do I?’

‘Sou, rude!’

‘You mean true.’

‘I mean-’

They’re once again interrupted by Morihito’s laugh.

‘You two are amazing.’ he says once he calms down. Sora is suddenly aware that, since Ren’s Guardian pact ceremony, the dullness disappeared from Morihito’s eyes. And that they were very pretty green...

Okay, brain, do not go there. You have other problems to worry about.

‘Wait, what were we talking about again?’

Mori and Soushi sigh as one.

‘About performing at the sendoff assembly for the third-year unit.’ Mori returns to the topic. ‘Some Songs are capable of imbuing their effects onto their listeners and carry over even after performance ends. It’s possible some of yours are capable of it, and we want to bet on it. At the same time, we want to test effects of announcing our existence on the school, before we will take any action outside of it. Provided we will.’

The additional sentence was quite easy to translate as „we won’t pressure you to do anything” to Sora, and he knows if the highest ranked of his Singers promises him that, it was serious offer. However, part of him stirs unpleasantly at the thought of hiding his Songs again, at not granting them to his Singers, or holding them back from using them the way they want to.

He wonders if that’s what the whole orchard metaphor Shu was using is about.

Probably. It’s still scary to come out and face the whole shelter society while embracing his gift, but then again, this time would be different. He was no longer just weirdo seeing threads of people’s sounds, he was finally anchored with four other Songs, keeping him safe and steady.

‘For now, let’s perform at the assembly.’ he decides. Then looks up. ‘Is that fine?’

‘More than fine.’ Morihito and Soushi chorus, then look at each other for a moment, before smiling. Soushi continues.

‘We need to tell Nozomu and Ren, though. I’m sure Nozomu will be pleased with the spotlight.’

‘He’s really good at being under it.’ Mori agrees. ‘Sometimes I wonder if he’s really freshly ascended. Ren, on the other hand...’

‘He decided he will do that, so we have nothing to worry about.’ Soushi interrupts. ‘He behaves like that, but he’s surprisingly strong, especially when issue concerns his friends.’

Sora feels warmth fill him. Even though he already knew it, mentions of being friends with all four of his Singers filled him with unbridled happiness.

‘I see.’ Mori sighs. ‘I have yet a lot to learn about all of you...’

‘You could start by asking questions that are stuck at the tip of your tongue ever since we came to the roof.’ dryly notes Soushi. When Mori looks at him like a deer caught in headlight, he scoffs. ‘You think I didn’t notice you backing away at last second for good fifteen minutes by now?’

‘Kagurazaka-kun, you’re terrifying.’ Mori says with respect, and Soushi snorts.

‘A person who could be a literal monster if he chose to has no right to say that. So? What it is that bothers you?’

‘Alright.’ Mori smiles lightly. ‘Though you might not be able to answer it, since I presume it has to do with your hunter’s job.’

‘Let’s take the risk.’

‘Is there a reason why you’re deployed solely as Support?’ Mori asks. ‘When we’ve met for the first time I didn’t see you as the Support type, and your family also is known as more of all rounders... Shouldn’t have asked after all?’

‘Nah, it’s fine.’ Soushi reaches out and pats Sora’s back. ‘One reason is, this guy needed almost constant protection, so I specialized in stuff Support does because it was easier to use to cover for him. Second is...’

He drifts off, small smile turned wistful.

‘I got injured by a Marionette, during one of the missions, back when I was a brat. We got separated from our Light affinity hunter, and others didn’t have enough energy to perform sun spell on me, and this thing was spreading Black Despair. So, we went for second best option, aside of killing me, and that was to let a High elemental we've met get rid of it from me. Problem was, he was Earth one.’

‘Earth has ability of cleansing the Black Despair, but it also has some side effects, especially if used on people.’ Mori says tensely, putting two and two together. Soushi nods.

‘Ever since, I cannot keep up with Battle training in endurance. My Song didn’t really change, though, according to this guy here.’ he once again pats Sora.

‘You bet!’ Sora grins, trying to will bitter taste from his mouth. He remembered the event, he was kidnapped few hours after Soushi returned, and his retrieval strained his friend beyond what a person should endure. ‘Your Song is too strong for some measly infection to endanger it!’

‘Right, right.’ Soushi huffs. ‘So, there you have it. I cannot keep up with Field Battle, but my experiences are still used in Support, so. I have no regrets.’

‘I see...’ Morihito looks at him for a long while, before smiling a gentle smile. ‘You’re much stronger person than you let on, Soushi.’

‘I don’t want to hear that from you.’ dryly returns hunter. They end up chuckling afterwards, and Sora marvels at easy companionship he feels between all three of them. This feels... yeah, feels like a Song in the making. He pulls out a notebook.

‘Oh? New idea?’ Soushi prompts him and Sora hums. It should be cheerful, but also have a tinge of nostalgia, and sense of living in the moment, only now and there, but also living on in the memories?

‘I get it!’ he exclaims, making the other two jump. ‘It’s Youth!’

‘What is?’ asks Mori, but Sora just grins at him, feeling swell of music inside of himself.

‘You’ll know once I finish it, I need your voice for that.’

Vampire blinks, then smiles softly.

‘We’re looking forward to it, Sora.’ Soushi says, fondness in his voice.

*

The assembly takes place in a gym, and a lot of people is there just to see their friends for the last time before they get assigned. Sora feels sense of foreboding, but also excitement, a new chapter opening for those leaving and those staying behind. He tries to capture and hold those feelings together, mash them, then change them into power that would embrace people and vampires leaving to protect them, all of them, from those who had no melody, no Song to Sing.

_He needs to give them one._

One of the officials approach Morihito, looking at them weirdly, but otherwise ignoring the fact a vampire from High family sticks with more or less unknown human and his lesser hunter friend, and passes on that the preparations are finished, and Mori is free to test his project whenever he wants.

They do a good job of hiding their snickers, Sora thinks.Their amusement die down as they exit on the stage, and Sora suddenly finds his throat constricted.

Mori catches on and goes on to cover for him, while Soushi moves right next to him.

‘Sora.’ he whispers, and it’s as familiar as the Song. ‘You wanted to show us Youth here, right?’

Sora looks at him, then looks at the Songs around all of them. They’re tangled, but free, swimming around, asking to be brought to where their owners can grasp them, and to where Sora won’t have to be enjoying them alone...

Something in him eases. In a way, his and Izumi Shu’s curses were exact opposites; vampire was grown up enough to embrace the Songs when he’s had yet to meet the Singers, while Sora has met the Singers before growing enough to embrace Songs. But, just like Izumi Shu will eventually find all of his Singers (or so Sora sincerly hopes for him), Sora took his time and grew up, next to his Singers and Songs, and is now ready to give them form, proper form that will become their shield against anybody wanting to change them into something they weren’t. Because they were hymns of Youth, and Youth needed to continue, to grow, and now, Sora understands.

Shu presented him various powers the Songs possessed, and he finally knows which one his Songs have. They were Support, meant to continue, to prolong.

He looks at people and vampires in front of them.

‘Sora.’ Mori prompts, and he nods.

He will start with giving the taste of Youth to these people, and making sure they will live long enough to change Youth, their present, into future.

Sora looks at each and every one of his Singers- because all of them are this, even if only one of them can use his voice right now- and smiles.

‘Let’s start the music!’

And start they do.

Their melodies melt to provide background for his and Mori’s voices, and Sora spreads them out, then wraps the wish of the Songs around the people listening, for them to become light and swift like the wind, to leave the troubles behind and just _live_.

People notice what’s happening with them, but none of them realize who is behind the mystical spell of music, wrapping them in a cocoon of safety, of breath of life, of Song that will keep the Despair from seeping into their hearts and souls, even if they will have to face mangled bodies and lifeless faces of the Marionettes.

He transitions the melody into second Song without much break, this one’s slower, more nostalgic, but still beautiful. Like a rainbow, a phenom that will not last, but specifically because of that, it will never end, not in the memories of the people who experienced it.

This Song is meant to keep the colorlessness at a bay, to make sure people know what they fight for, what they protect.

By the third one, he notices Mori wavering, and Sora wraps more of the Song around himself, makes the melody depend on him even more than before. The Songs meant to Support others cannot exhaust his own Singers, right?

It’s harder than he has thought, but this Song, this very Song has to resound loud and clear, even over the shelter’s siren; people who are going to leave after the alert signal dies down are his fellow students and he needs to make sure, needs to let them know that no matter what they become from here on onwards, their memories as pupils, as fellow classmates, teammates, friends or rivals will be there for them to fall back on. Sora had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to experience it, to gain those memories, but if he could, every hunter, and every vampire leaving for the Field also had them. After all, all of them has seen this hill in a full bloom at the start of the year, right?

They are met with stunned applause, and Sora practically sways on his legs, a mix of exhaustion and relief taking over him to the point Soushi and Ren need to drag him off the stage and into the crowd of the students assembled in front of the school, both alarm and sendoff ceremony canceling normal schedule.

There are some voices who congratulate them belonging to a great project, _even if Arihara is a vampire he probably can create something good, but only with you keeping an eye on him, right, Kagurazaka_ , but they all quieten soon enough, attention of everyone moving to the official Glyph Tunnel managers, who came and were currently exchanging words with the director, no doubt about sending the freshly christened unit away, to help deal with the emergency that triggered the siren in the first place... or did Sora imagine that siren?

‘Oohara.’ there’s a voice calling out to him, and he can see both Mori and Soushi stiffening on reflex- nobody called out to Sora directly before, it was always to him and Soushi. ‘Thanks for the Songs, I’m sure they will help us.’

‘Ookaze-senpai.’ Sora utters, before Mori makes a step to separate him from the burly third year, all smile and ready to politic for his sake, even though just moments ago, Sora’s Songs almost knocked him off his legs...

‘Thank you very much, Ookaze-senpai, I’ll make sure to let our Co-’

‘Sorry Arihara, but this is not gonna work.’ their senpai smiles, but it’s a friendly smile, exactly like the ones Sora imagined when writing those Songs. He lowers his voice slightly, ‘My family’s mixed, and I had a few Seers as relatives. But, if you wanna keep the pretense up, and Oohara’s fine with it, I’ll play along.’

‘Seers?’ Ren asks quietly the exact question swimming around Sora’s head. Ookaze nods.

‘Something like a Song sensor. They can see Songs for what they are, some better, some worse, but can’t Compose them.’ he looks at Sora. ‘Until recently I was sure that, just like Composers, only vampires could become one, but Oohara made me rethink this stuff, so. Consider me on your side.’

‘That’s a very generous statement.’ Mori slowly says, but their senpai just shrugs.

‘Hey, you guys just gave us three Songs for protection, that’s more than half of the organizations managing Field can do.’ he once again looks at all of them. ‘Which is why I think that, rather than me, it’s you who should have it. Partly as a thanks, mostly because I want to hear more of your Songs. You made me greedy.’

With that, he pulls out a leaflet, and passes it onto Sora, who after his last two statements, dropped all the pretense and let his sight out. Their senpai had only one phrase around himself, and it definitely wasn’t connected to anybody else, meaning there was no Composer waiting for him. But, that phrase was strong, sweet and straightforward, and Sora realized, the man wasn’t lying to them.

He looks down at the leaflet, promoting Tsukipro Organization and their audition for a new project - Field Support project. The one point Sora and his Singers’ Songs excelled at, and the power he didn’t mind them having.

‘Thank you.’ he says, honestly, to the older student - or, was he a graduate by now? - and Ookaze just grins at him, as if reading his thoughts.

‘I won’t let my life finish with that job, so,’ he says, waving hand at them, ‘don’t let your Song finish there either, alright? I might become your fan!’

*

With this last meeting you’d think there would be nothing else shocking happening today, maybe beyond the Glyph Tunnel being set up at their school territory.

Of course, that was not the case.

Because suddenly, there’s a messenger, and Soushi inhales next to Sora.

‘That crest-’

‘Hmm?’

‘This situation might be stickier than we think.’ Soushi answers Mori’s inquiring hum. ‘Be ready to evacuate Sora, alright?’

‘H-Huh?’ but, suddenly, Sora understands, for there’s another melody, another Song, nearing them, and he spots a blond with a tightly bandaged hand, marching next to purple-haired man- wrong, a vampire. Behind them is just as peculiar pair, a tall hunter and slim, almost petite vampire looking as if somebody pulled him out of old paintings.

They’re not with the messenger, but the blond shows something to the managers of the Tunnel, something even Sora is familiar with.

‘Isn’t that-’

‘Tsukino crest.’ Soushi confirms. ‘No idea who they are-’

‘SolidS.’ very calmly interrupts him Mori. ‘New passion project of the Takamura Clan’s Head. He announced their affiliation with Tsukino on last council, but I didn’t expect they’d be cleared to Field this soon...’

‘Doesn’t look like they were cleared. I wouldn’t clear injured people.’ Nozomu proclaims, even as Ren shushes him. Soushi looks and, indeed, blond isn’t the only one in bandages. Vampires probably smelled their blood...

Was the situation so dire they were-

Blond chooses that moment to turn and look straight at them. His eyes pick Sora out of the group as if he was a magnet, and the man grins, before saying something to the vampire next to him. Head of Takamuras turn to them and repeats the same motions -seriously, Sora is going to check his clothes for any magnets afterwards- and his eyes widen, before he smirks. Then he turns back to his group without a glance back.

Sora suddenly remembers what Shu has told him about Songs and Composers, and simultaneously realizes that the thing that pulled vampire’s eyes to him is the same thing that made him unable to break the eye-contact first.

‘He’s a Composer...’ he sways on his feet, but Ren is there to catch him.

‘Really? The air around all of them is... really hot, it’s hard to read it.’ their sensor says to him, and Sora nods weakly.

‘That’s because they all are connected. They’re Singers. And those Songs are fire.’

Ren tilts his head, but says nothing. To him, the sensation of warmth in the air stays, even after Glyph Tunnel is activated, and SolidS pass through it, after making briefest of talks with their school’s unit, most likely giving them orders as the older group. Though, if what Morihito-senpai has said was true, they weren’t formed that much earlier...

Ren is shaken out of his reverie at the same time as Sora jerks next to him with a surprised yelp of ‘again?!’

The pair that joins managers does not order even half of awe SolidS inspired. It’s two blonds, one with hair the color of sun, the other of pale silver-pink. What’s more interesting is that the messenger that arrived before SolidS did was now backing away, bowing respectfully at the sun-blond.

‘Fuck.’ Soushi swears softly. ‘That’s direct descendant of main Etou branch. What in the world is going on outside?’

Sora suddenly wishes he could answer that question. More than that, he wishes he could go on and push for more Songs, for suddenly, he feels emptiness, threatening him just at the verge of consciousness.

Shu’s words about their enemies drift back to him, just as Mori starts speculating.

‘Probably Marionettes, maybe a big group? That slipped past outer patrols.’ he then adds apologetically, ‘I would try to get more information, but I’m... a bit afraid of leaving you, at the moment.’

Which meant leaving Sora. While their Song has finished, its’ effects still lasted, and Sora still kept his sight out, not completely in the open, but just there, barely concealed.

Wait, if his sight is out, and emptiness threatens outside of it... Sora tries to amplify it. Then wobbles.

‘Sora?!’

‘S-Sou... how are the big ones named again?’ he asks shakily, regaining his footing. The sensation of pure, unrestrained hatred, not towards him but towards his music, almost blew him away, and he instantly shut himself off.

‘You mean Puppetmasters?’ Soushi is slightly confused, but then his eyes widen. ‘Don’t tell me-’

‘I don’t know, but. If they hate music, then yes. That, I felt for sure.’ underneath terror and anxiety, Sora starts feeling anger.

His music was meant to cheer people on. Izumi Shu’s music he’s heard briefly upon meeting the vampire sounded as if it could soothe the deepest pain once completed, like a heartfelt prayer. Even that Takamura and his Singers’ Songs, they felt warm, hot, even, but it was sensation of feverish happiness changed into melody, a drunken dance with best parts of life (Sora never drank, but he suspected the Songs sounded the way he will feel like, once he gets drunk for the first time- lightheaded and hazy, hot and excited).

To hate something like that... and, if stories of Puppetmasters were real, to take that away from people who didn’t hate it, to change them into forever suffering, forever yearning Marionettes...

‘Guys, I... I really don’t want to meet this Puppetmaster things.’ he starts, and all of his Singers focus on him. He crumples leaflet received from their senpai with how tight he grips it. ‘But, at he same time... if they’re taking the music away... I don’t want to see world without music even more.’

He takes a deep breath, then pushes the leaflet out to them.

‘That’s why, please come to that thing with me!’

After a second of silence, there’s a snort, then full-on laughter from in front of him. He raises his head, disbelieving.

‘Who would have thought just one performance was enough to release this side of you back into the world.’ Soushi shakes his head fondly. Then, he turns to the others. ‘I cannot leave this idiot alone, so. Sorry in advance Ren, but I think you’re stuck with us, too, what’s with that Guardian pact and so on.’

‘I already decided on continuing with you anyway.’ sensor says surprisingly lightly. ‘Didn’t I tell you before, Sou-nii? I also want to support my Composer.’

Soushi doesn’t answer him verbally, but looks very proud. Then, he turns to remaining two vampires.

‘What do you guys say?’

‘Yes, me first!’ Nozomu raises his hand. ‘I’m in!’

‘That was quick...’

‘I mean, it’s never boring with you guys, and Ren already agreed, so! I’m with Ren!’

‘N-Nozomu...’

‘Good for you, Ren.’ Soushi pats his vampire charge, while Mori chuckles.

‘Weren’t that supposed to be group of Sora’s Singers, though? I’m also in, by the way. I doubt my family will oppose me at this point, and if they do... well, Tsukino Organization is pretty prestigious. Having them behind my back will certainly only help me.’

Sora pouts at his first sentence, but then the expression changes to a grin with each word their eldest spoke. He tries to glomp all of them, managing to pull Mori and Soushi in, remaining two pulled by other seniors with a chuckle.

‘Thanks guys! You’re...’ his eyes glaze over, as behind his Singers, he sees final duo, a vampire led by hand by the dark haired youth, approaching the pair from Etou domain, and simultaneously his sight is overwhelmed, ‘Sparkling...’

He wakes up when his Singers look at him weirdly.

‘Ah no, I mean, not you directly, but... behind you, guys. Those four have their Songs connected too, and it’s... you know, when the sun hits the leaves just right, and filter through it? It’s how their Songs look like.’

All of them turn to observe the situation. The quartet in front of the tunnel obviously knew each other, and the bright blond- oh, he had blue eyes, and a very gentle expression, too! - is their leader, if the way remaining three instantly move after he speaks is anything to go by. The pale blond and dark haired boy move to each side of their leader, and said leader moves towards the vampire. He asks something softly, then nods pleased at his answer, before raising his hand to vampire’s cheek. Sora can see man’s blush even from this far away, but even more, he can now clearly see...

‘That’s their Composer.’ he mutters half-consciously, even as the blond takes his hand away and the vampire blinks, before looking at their senpais’ unit, just now disappearing in the Tunnel, his burgundy eyes then naturally tracing the Song from them to...

Sora crosses his arms in front of himself, and looks pleadingly at the other Composer- he might be embracing his gift now, but it’s definitely too early for him to be comfortable with two foreign vampires recognizing him in less than hour!

The vampire blinks at him, but when his leader calls out to him questioningly, he turns away and shakes his head with a smile, and Sora breathes with relief. Then, he gets bopped on the head.

‘The heck you’re doing?’ Soushi asks, massaging his hand.

‘If we’re to take part in the audition, we need to settle on few things first.’ Mori says gently next to Soushi, gathering Ren and Nozomu, who kind of drifted away with the crowd, already slowly dispersing. Sora looks at the tunnel again, only to notice... tips of wings? disappearing inside. Managers of the tunnel close the entrance with a heavy sigh. Soushi follows his line of sight.

‘They will move closer to the hospitals with open spaces for the return tunnel, to make sure everybody who came back can be treated properly.’ he explains shortly. ‘That’s the procedure.’

Sora shudders, but something deep inside of him tells him to settle down, that with two Composers on the site, even Puppetmaster will not harm people send to fight. He raises his head.

‘What’s the thing you guys wanted to settle before audition?’

‘A lot actually, but let’s start with a name.’ Mori says, and Sora smiles.

‘Oh, that’s an easy one!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Hanasaku oka de

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I needed to give reason for the 'School Drama' tag, then the meaning changed completely lol.  
> Some of the people might have noticed I changed the title of the previous chapter. It's because, I feel the current one better encapsulates what's going on in that part, and well... the last chapter needed a title as well, lol.  
> More on chapter titles, I hesitated between naming this chapter the current title and McGuffin (more in the 'dude that can do everything' meaning, and less in the 'Soara song that makes people cry after watching Alive Stage ep2' meaning), but decided against it, since well, flower hill better envisions the fantasy of perfect highschool life... Anyway!  
> Enjoy Soara figuring out how to make place for Field training in their busy highschool life (and annoying vampires sucking up to Mori even more than they did previously)!

Aside of their name, they also need to decide on the leader. Surprisingly (or was it really), everybody agree to dump this obligation on Sora.

‘Eh? Why?’

‘Because you are actually our Composer?’ rhetorically asks Nozomu.

‘Because this whole thing started because of you?’ Soushi adds.

‘Because we want you to build confidence and fame independent from any of the names in Soara.’ supplies Mori.

‘Because it seems fitting.’ Ren finishes softly.

Sora is too baffled to even dispute, and so, Soara, with its’ leader, Oohara Sora, gets established and submitted as a candidate for first Tsukino screening.

Said leader now gets his ass whipped by all of his Singers, as suddenly, his condition matters, not in the ‘your time is over minute’ way, but in the ‘You’ll get ripped by Marionettes like that’ way. He also gets to train on his awaresness of his energy core, and while it feels weird, it somehow feels connected with Songs, so Sora doesn’t really complain.

They get their affinity tested as one of the pre-tests, and to everybody’s surprise, all of them get assigned to wind, with different levels of intensity, both Nozomu and Soushi getting a secondary, weaker affinity, to fire and earth respectively.

‘I was pretty sure I’ll get neutral, like I did all these times before.’ Sora’s childhood friend admits, and Ren blinks.

‘Neutral?’

‘When you don’t have any affinity, or all of them are equally distributed, that’s when we call them neutral.’ Mori explains, side-eyeing Soushi. ‘That’s weird, I always put Soushi as the earth type. Grounded and stable. Fit to even out Sora.’

‘Well, I’ve put you as the same.’ Soushi responds immediately. ‘Maybe with a tinge of Light- wait that’s almost nonexistent affinity if you’re not elemental for vampires, right?’

‘Yeah.’ Mori nods. ‘The one currently most active is the part of the former Unit of Seven, and then there’s few others working on Backstage, but you could count them with fingers of one hand.’

‘Weren’t elementals only existing in vampire race, though?’ Sora asks, raising his hand. ‘I mean, I don’t think I’ve seen human one, like, ever.’

Mori nods his head, slowly.

‘Elemental in the pure meaning of the word- the person who is one with the element rather then being capable of adjusting to it easily, as with affinity- is something showing up only in vampires. However, most Soul Spirit users have their affinity with their elements high, and those connected with rarer Soul Spirits sometimes are on par with elementals.’

‘Here, question!’ Nozomu bounces in his seat. ‘What’s a Soul Spirit user?’

‘Remember the last group that came through the Tunnel, back after sendoff assembly?’ Soushi asks. ‘All of them were Soul Spirit users. Sora has said they were sparkling.’

‘Ah. I felt similar.’ Ren speaks up. When everybody look at him, he shifts. ‘It’s... hard to explain, but the air... it accommodated around them as if there were other entities, besides just people? and it was shining with that accommodation. Ah but only just before they passed through...’

‘That’s probably Etou’s doing.’ Soushi hums, and Mori nods. ‘What, you know them?’

‘Not in person, but we have information on all the prominent hunter families, Soushi.’ heir of the Arihara family, the information brokers of the vampire world, says. ‘They are actually aristocrats, even among other families. They were Highs long before the Human-Vampire war, and during both the conflict and the Great Tragedy, provided Support of the highest quality. They have lots of families that are connected to them by retainer pacts, right?’

When Soushi nods, Mori smiles.

‘I presume the group we saw that day was one of the Etous and his retainers.’ he frowns, ’But in that case, what was that vampire doing there?’

‘It was their Composer.’ Sora answers absent-mindedly. He adds, when all eyes turn on him, ‘Hey I’ve told you that before!’

‘Ah.’ Mori blinks, ‘you did. It didn’t register properly, I guess, since, well...’

‘We’re rare.’ Sora finishes, and Mori smiles sheepish.

‘Not only that; all Composers I’ve met until now are... special, in more than one way. Izumi's Head, Takamura’s Head, human Composer... you know, you’re exquisite in your own way.’

Sora grins, hoping nobody will notice the blush spreading over his face.

Why is Mori so nice?!

‘Okay, stop flirting now.’ Soushi grouses, and Nozomu snickers, while Sora chokes and Ren yelps. ‘We gotta decide on the plan of action for the tests.’

‘It’s going to be hard to decide, considering we only have the briefest of ideas on what is actually being tested.’ Mori answers, face smiling even though Soushi just called him out... Sora wishes for half of the confidence his more popular Singers have.

Was it even fair to be this popular?!

‘There are few basics I can imagine will be checked out regardless of all other things Tsukino might decide to check to fit their own idea of the Supports.’ Soushi raises his fist and starts straightening fingers in time with his counting out. ‘Field awareness, I guess we’ll count on Ren for that. Our mobility, probably capability to defend ourselves in case we get split with Field Battle-’

‘It happens?’

‘Sometimes.’ Soushi nods. ‘We work from behind Battle Units, that’s why if they’re surrounded, their job is to move forward, while ours is to either distract those at their backs, or get away to make place for possible reinforcements. If Battle gets to the other side of their forces, they’re sandwiched, and our position is used as a reference for wider area of attack.’

‘I see.’ Ren nods. ‘There’s a lot to consider here...’

‘Good we have Soushi with us.’ Mori smiles at him, ‘Anything else we should watch out for?’

‘Probably general cooperation and fitness.’

‘What is that even supposed to mean?’ Sora and Nozomu whine.

‘How well you manage not to get in the way of your teammates.’ Soushi translates for them.

‘Oh, that’s easy then!’

‘Is it really?’ Soushi quirks an eyebrow at Nozomu. ‘You do know training this is something even most advanced hunters do all their life?’

‘But we’re not hunters!’

‘And that might be a problem.’ Mori supports Soushi. ‘Vampire cooperation is at best based on the ‘I do my thing here, you do yours over there’.’

He pauses.

‘Of course there are exceptions. And Groups, where that doesn’t apply, but it’s because they’re, well, they’re Groups. They don’t exist without cooperation.’

‘Technically speaking though, isn’t Soara a bit like a Group.’ Ren asks quietly. ‘We’re mix of people and vampires, of different skill and abilities, coming together to work on a common goal.’

‘Ooh, I like that description!’ Sora grins at their second youngest member. Soushi snorts.

‘Then, we will have to implement proper training for it to actually reflect the reality.’

‘We will, won’t we?’ Mori agrees. ‘But, I’m looking forward to it. Seems like it’s going to be fun.’

*

Fun it was, but Mori forgot the exhausting part.

Soushi is a good teacher and just as good at organisation, but. He. Is. Strict.

Sora never noticed it before, mostly because it showed only in hard head chops for him. However, with Soara deciding to enter the stage as the Field Unit, Soushi takes it upon himself to drag them at least to his level, and that includes number of ridiculous exercises on focus, affinity control and stamina.

Of course, Ren and Mori do great; one is a High, trained in all those aspects since young age, and his participation in their training is mostly to get him used to their presence behind his back.

Ren does even better; with his family living previously in the border district, where lesser and middle-class vampires were obliged to have their underage members be in Guardian Pact, he was used to feeling other people’s presence at all times. Additionally, his upbringing as the heir to the Kendo school and his talent as a sensor made his focus impeccable and switch between battle ready and casual smooth and controlled. All in all, Sora felt, Ren was the dark horse of Soara.

He and Nozomu had more trouble. Nozomu’s energy levels made his stamina not be that much of an issue, but his control slipped in regular intervals, the way his focus did. Even during their Song, Sora could constantly feel his sound straying from the path next to the others’, never going too far away, but enough to give Sora trouble to adjust all the sounds to avoid cacophony. It usually ended up being fun, so he didn’t really mind, but Soushi did, and did for a good reason. Straying, or getting distracted mid-technique involving your affinity, could result in injury to the people next to you, especially with as explosive mix as Nozomu’s air and fire. While during training, they didn’t use even half of their potential, according to Soushi, and that meant their hunter could manage any side-effects, changing them into harmless sparks, with a full-scale battle it could pose a danger. It was no wonder that reigning Nozomu’s potential in has quickly became the priority for Soushi, aided by Ren’s efforts when the younger vampires were alone, according to the stories Sora caught here and there on the corridors. Then again, he’s caught also other stories about the two, and if any of them were true... well, Sora was definitely boarding that ship.

Then, there was Sora, not allowed to train for most of his life, and then focusing on keeping his potential bottled up. While being Composer helped greatly with his control -air was a lot like the Songs, so getting along with it was a matter of time- his stamina suffered, even with all the energy he naturally possessed. Soushi implemented special training menu for him, and in some way, Sora was wondering if it was revenge for all the mad pursuits his childhood friend had to make whenever Sora got kidnapped.

If it was, Sora got his revenge in their Singer training. It wasn’t easy, explaining to people (and vampires) how to use something they didn’t even see, but Mori helped greatly with that. With time, as they tested Song after Song, Sora noticed his Singers grasping more firmly at the sounds belonging to them. Their voices had yet to present themselves properly, for the whole duration of the Song, but he got them to join some choruses, and it already was a great step forward, especially when he caught Ren mouthing words along Morihito’s lines.

Yes, the vampire was definitely the dark horse of Soara.

Of course, not everybody were pleased with their decision to continue an unit. With a parting gift from Ookaze-senpai, a recommendation to the headmaster to ease the process of getting the training space, the rumors of special treatment rose, but Sora no longer worried about them. First, those weren’t ghost rumors, he knew their source very, very well; second, he knew it wasn’t really about them, but about Mori.

Arihara family was the most prestigious out of all those who’ve send their heirs to their school. It was no wonder there were people- well, vampires- displeased that their time for vying for Mori’s attention and favors was cut short by some nameless kid, his hunter friend, and then middle-class vampire and newly ascended High who didn’t seem to care for any of the prestige Arihara’s presence gave him...

So, yeah, Sora knew who was behind minor inconveniences happening around them, and also knew that if he, or anybody from Soara, really, let it get to them, Mori will worry, will doubt his decision, and that, Sora didn’t want. So, he did what he did the best.

He lived with full on Youth mode, Composing, meeting friends, and freaking out about audition. People do like him, lesser vampires like him as well, even if he doesn’t get any confessions like Soushi and Mori do practically every week (seriously, what’s with that). That likability is what protects him from hurtful rumors, because people ridicule and laugh them off before they even gain in power, and any more aggressive action is easily diffused by the presence of Soushi and Mori in the same class as him.

Vampires still can be passive-aggressive, like dumping the duty of the second years’ representative onto him, tasking him with preparation for a year-end event, hoping to busy him so much he will lose the chance to hang out with Mori, but well, tough luck, Sora’s better at that game. He waves concerned voices away - his friends realize that on the Soara training depends whether they will return from the Field or stay on it as another set of Marionettes, and offer to take over for him- and creates a Coming Up With The Idea Committee, part of which is obviously Mori. Soushi is too, as much as he grumbles about his naming sense, and Sora decides to drag Ren and Nozomu in as well, just because.

He can notice Kano, a female from one of the High families trying to strengthen their relationship with Ariharas, practically frothing from her mouth when he drags Mori away for committee’s meeting, vampire apologetic to her, but definitely not stopping Sora from whisking him away.

Sora discovers he kinds of likes pissing vampires around Mori off. While the fear of being outed is still somewhere at the back of his mind even now, when he practically openly proclaims his relationship with Songs, the sensation of getting revenge for all those years of fear and constraint more than reward his actions. The same way Mori’s smile of relief does, when he or Soushi pull him away from yet another circle of vampire admirers slash leeches, as Nozomu started to call them, and Sora gleefully picked up. In a way, Sora doesn’t want Soara to end because then, he will have to let Mori drown in the mud that seems to be Highs’ politics. While Soushi warns him of this type of thinking- taking on the council of Highs isn’t something they can do, even with Composer as their ace- he seems to agree with keeping Mori as far away from it as possible, whenever it’s possible. If Mori notices them calling out to him for no reason just as often as to consult something, he doesn’t mention it.

It’s during one of those no reason calls they stumble upon their youngest pair. It looks like they were training alone again, for both of them breathe quicker than vampires do normally, and Nozomu has beads of sweat on his face. He also has a super obvious blush on it, and Sora prepares to gleefully tackle and poke fun at him, when Soushi’s hand on his collar stop him abruptly. Sou, what if this stretches?!

‘Don’t, idiot.’ Soushi hisses into his ear, while at the feet of the hill they stand on, Nozomu stammers something out, which wakes Ren from his stupor. Their sensor shakes his head, then makes a step forward and-

Okay. Okay, Ren DEFINITELY is their dark horse.

Mori and Soushi choose that moment to quietly backtrack, dragging Sora with themselves, leaving the new couple to stammer out the necessary words and figure out what that makes them now. Well, that’s also part of youth, right?

‘I’m glad for them.’ Mori is the one who breaks their silence. Soushi grunts.

‘They finally figured this out.’

‘Oh? Sou, you knew-’

Soushi waves his wrist, where a bracelet mark identical with that of Ren’s rested.

‘I see.’ Mori nods. ‘I guess overseeing that is also part of Guard duties.’

Soushi chuckles.

‘But, I’m so glaaad for them!’ Sora says, face pointing to the sky. ‘Love’s great! Not like I’d know since _somebody_ gets all the confessions, but, you know!’

‘Just for the record, both me and Mori turn them down.’ Soushi says easily. Sora turns as if burned.

‘You’re kidding me?’

‘Nope. We both have someone we’re eyeing anyway.’

‘Oi, Soushi!’ Mori looks flustered, and that’s enough to convince Sora to pry some more.

‘Really? Who’s it, who’s it? Do you need the Great Sora-sama’s help in confessing?’

‘Says the guy who just complained about having no experience in love.’ Soushi teases, and Sora whines.

‘Sou, we’ve already decided not to-’ Mori starts but it’s enough to make Sora gasp.

‘You’re after one girl?!’

Soushi and Mori stop, then exchange glances.

‘He’s serious, isn’t he?’ Mori asks shakily.

‘He is.’ Soushi confirms with a suffering sigh. ‘I guess we’re morosexual.’

That makes Mori snort. When Sora continues staring at them, not understanding, Mori opens his mouth, but then visibly changes his decision.

‘We’re after the same person Sora, but-’

‘Who’s it?!’

‘-for now audition is our priority.’ Mori finishes his thought, much to Sora’s disappointment. ‘It’s someone we all know very well, and I’m sure they would want us to focus on mastering Songs. ‘

‘But, will you be alright? I mean, you know, you’re love rivals?’

‘That’s... a bit complicated.’

‘But we manage.’ Soushi interrupts. ‘Our priority is Soara, so it’s not like we haven’t had common goal previously. And, if we get to pass the audition, that person is also sure to be happy. And if they’re happy... well, we’ll figure something out.’

‘Right, right.’ Mori seems grateful for the save, when he turns to Sora. ‘So, don’t mind us, and let’s focus on the training for now, alright?’

Considering it had his best friends’ love life on the line, Sora decided, it didn’t even need to be confirmed. Even if he didn’t know how they’ll figure out a happy end to that love triangle, but! If they don’t, he will!

*

The idea for the year-end event comes to him mid-literature lesson.

The teacher is reading out a textbook, briefing them on a biography of the autor they will be reading for the next few lessons, a guy shaking spears, or something like that. What makes Sora jump up in his seat is the quote of world being a giant stageplay, and people being actors in one giant performance. It was something he wanted!

But, the teacher, now eyeing him weirdly, continues by saying the man is most known for his tragedies, based on human lack of communication, and that, he doesn’t need - the world is bleak even without adding the mess that is human-vampire relationships and stuff. Sora raises his hand.

‘Sir! Did that person wrote something that won’t give us depression?’

The class snorts as one, but they seem to wake up from the trance, now for real interested with what he says, so the teacher letd the wording slip.

‘He did write comedies, but only very few survived to our times. Also, while we’re on the topic, comedy means happy ending, not the content that makes people laugh.’

Sora nods energetically. As long as he has a happy ending to work with, he will manage to make people laugh. He’s good at it, according to Mori and Sou.

The second lesson ends, Sora bolts from his chair, calling behind his shoulder.

‘Soushi, Mori, meeting asap, get Ren and Nozomu, be right back, off to the library!’

He’s off before they can even answer him.

‘That’s... impressive amount of information spoken on one breath.’ slowly says Mori. Soushi snorts.

‘I’m pretty sure the order of sentences was completely messed up, though. I’ll get Ren and Nozomu.’ he adds, noticing a vampire approaching them. ‘You’ve got library duty, right?’

‘That’s right.’ Mori also notices his admirer. ‘I’ll keep an eye on Sora. Meet you at the spot?’

‘Got it.’

*

Sora gets to the rooftop out of breath, and with the grin that speaks of his excitement, and Soushi is instantly wary. Mori’s somewhat baffles expression doesn’t help, when vampire enters after Sora.

‘I figured this out!’ Sora announces before any of them can open their mouth. ‘Ta-dah!’

He pushes the book he was until then clutching to his chest forward, and Nozomu squints as he reads the title out loud.

‘”Shakespeare’s play collection”- we’re playing with spears?’

‘No, idiotzomu. The guy wrote plays. Like, stageplays.’ Sora explains, opening the book and flipping its’ pages. ‘Apparently the tragedies are classics-’

‘Apparently.’ Soushi and Ren deadpan at the same time. Mori chuckles, sheepish. Sora ignores them.

‘-but he also wrote comedies! And I want us to put out one as the year-end activity!’

‘...Oh.’

‘So it was about it.’

‘Yeah.’ Sora looks at their baffled expressions. ‘Wait, you thought it wasn’t?’

‘Well, considering you just bolted from the class without explaining a word, yeah.’ Soushi dryly notes. ‘With this group I thought it was something to do with Soara.’

‘Well, technically it has, since we need actors, right?’

‘...excuse me?’

*

It takes almost whole break, but eventually, one by one, everyone succumb to Sora’s idea. It doesn’t help that he seems to have already worked out all the technical needs of the event, and already found people in their year who could potentially help with it, making the idea look much closer to realization than it really was.

On the flipside, Sora had yet to decide on a work they would set out, causing Soushi to facepalm, and everybody else to sweatdrop.

They all agree with them not needing another tragedy in their lives, and going with comedy, with all of them choosing a work to read, and then summarizing it to the rest, so that they can agree on one title.

The next day, they go through the titles, and let them go, one by one. After discarding most of the competition, they leave „Comedy of Mistakes”, but Sora is against actors playing twins not being actual twins, and with all of twins attending their school being fraternal brother-sister pair, they turn to the last one.

‘So „Tempest” it is.’ Mori says, bookmarking the start of the play in the book. ‘I’m actually glad, I know the story pretty well. It’s interesting, and has air motif, too.’

‘So, like Soara!’ Nozomu exclaims, and Mori chuckles.

‘I also thought so.’

‘The stage is an island, and there’s very few fantastical characters, so stagework and costumes’ teams also should manage, even though we’re just high-schoolers.’ Ren says, scanning the list of names and roles.

‘Ren! Don’t underestimate power of high-schoolers!’ Sora bellows, making Ren flinch, and Soushi to bop him on the head.

‘Chill, man, we can hear you.’ Soushi looks down at the page Ren was previously scanning. ‘We also need to assign characters to the people, so that sewing club can start on taking measurements and so on.’

‘Right.’ people around him chorus. Nozomu points at the name at the top.

‘Here, here, I want to be Pros...Pros-pe-ro!’

‘No way.’ Ren and Mori, the only ones knowing the play in detail, protest. When Nozomu pouts at him, Ren blushes furiously.

‘I...I mean...’

‘Prospero is the wise old man, isn’t he?’ Soushi says, looking at the tiny font next to the name. ‘So, Nozomu, give it to someone who doesn’t look thirteen.’

‘Soushi-senpai, no fair! You know we age slower than you!’ Nozomu whines, and Ren hums.

‘That’s why you’ll make a good prince, Nozomu. Look, here.’ he points to the name. ‘He has an important role in the story, and needs a lot of charisma to be realistically attractive...ah.’

Ren blushes furiously, starting to stammer as Nozomu grins at him, and Soushi waves his hand, to dispel the air of awkwardness around his charge.

‘Don’t mind, don’t mind, we all get it.’ they never mentioned they stumbled on vampire’s confession, but Ren also knew Soushi was responsible for monitoring him in that aspect as well, so the relationship of their youngest kind of became open secret among Soara. ‘I was about to propose the same thing. I think Mori would pull off good Prospero, though.’

‘Me?’ Mori points to himself. ‘But I don’t know if I have enough aura to-’

‘You are the oldest student at the school, since your family enrolled you only after your body age caught up with people around you.’ Soushi interrupts him. ‘And you are smart. I think there’s no problem. Even if you’re not old.’

‘You just said something opposite, though...’

‘Am I wrong?’ Soushi smirks, and Mori smiles. ‘Plus, we’re annoying your admirers by taking even more of your time, while also giving you a position that they cannot complain about, not if they don’t want to appear rude to you. Don’t you want to see their constipated faces?’

‘Sou, you’re a menace.’ Sora whistles. ‘But, I agree!’

‘Right.’ Soushi looks at him for a moment, then grins even wider, as he turns back to Mori. ‘And, I’m sure you know it better than me, but there is a role that sticks close to Prospero, that fits Sora perfectly, right?’

‘Me?’

‘Now that you say it...’ Mori hums, looking at their Composer. Who blinks, looking between his classmates.

‘Why do I feel judged?’

‘Ah, you mean, _that_ role? I agree!’ Ren adds to their talk, and Soushi smiles at him. Sora continues to stare.

‘And why do I feel you’re already decided everything? Without even telling me?!‘

‘I agree with Ren, no idea what it is about, though!’ Nozomu puts his hand up in the air, and seniors in Soara snort.

‘What a surprise.’ Soushi mutters. Ren whines at him softly. ‘Okay, okay, sorry.’

‘Guys!’ Sora whines. ‘At least tell me what you’re talking about!’

‘Should we?’ Mori asks Soushi, playful glint in his eyes. Soushi hums, considering, making Sora whine again and Mori chuckle. Then, he nods, and both him and Mori lean down and point to one name in the script.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I would like to inform you that the spear shaking jokes are a result of my English teacher trying to make learning past simple more tolerable for us back in primary school, and those jokes stuck with me until now, reinforced by multiple tumblr and twitter posts of the same nature.  
> Next chapter is a finale for Ariel, but the boys' story will continue for a bit more, first in Mahou no Kizuna, then in the Dreamer's Song! (yeah, I finally decided on title, and yes, it's paraphrased because of Dear Dreamer).  
> While we're at it, next chapter of MnK will come out with the finale of Ariel, for it seems it once again ended up coming ahead of its' counterpart timeline wise *sweats*  
> See you soon!


	6. S.O.A.R.A.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, that's the finale!  
> Enjoy the first stage of audition, boys being boys, and few other minor things that happen in this chapter!  
> (Just a forewarning but this one might need another spell checking run because I hit refresh instead of save the draft upon doing it orz. I tried to check it again, but it's not the same as reading with fresh eyes, so. You've been warned!)

The hall in which the first stage of auditions take place is giant, to say the least.

‘Awesome!’ Nozomu cannot hold his excitement in. ‘I wonder if there will be echo if we’re left alone?’

‘They use Glyph techniques to artificially expand it for the test. So, the answer is no.’ Soushi scans the terrain. ‘For a reason, too. I didn’t expect this many rouges trying to join organization.’

‘Huh.’ Sora says distractedly, and Mori and Soushi exchange looks, before looking in the direction their Composer was staring at. Then, they oh.

‘Then again, I guess there are those you can’t call rouges.’ Soushi says, looking at the quartet in green uniforms, calmly observing their surroundings. ‘Those are Etou forces. Again.’

The blond at the front had a look on his face as if he was spacing out, but it was obvious that the slightest impulse will prompt his reaction.

‘Is that a vampire? At the back?’ Ren quietly asks, pointing to the much less focused, burgundy haired man standing behind the other three. He had a sheepish look on his face, and his eyes were travelling all around the hall, in the similar way Nozomu’s did.

‘I assume yes. But, definitely not a High.’ Mori frowns. ‘I would have recognized him.’

‘I can’t see him clearly.’ Sora says, interrupting their exchange. Nozomu blinks.

‘Even though he stands in the open?’

Sora shakes his head.

‘Not like that!’ he says, frustration obvious in his voice. ‘I had the same thing happen before, in front of the Tunnel. I can see he has Songs, but they’re blurred, as if something obscured them. Like that, I would never say he’s a Composer.’

Mori does a double take at the strange vampire.

‘ _He_ is?!’

‘Yeah, the guy I've told you about. If I didn't saw him back then, in front of the Tunnel, I would never be able to tell, though. Now he looks just like a guy with Songs. A lot of them. But, just a moment before they entered the Tunnel, I could swear he was the one meant to Compose, and was connected with other three- ah.’

The vampire looked in their direction- more specifically at Sora- and, noticing them staring, ducked his head, shuffling closer to the other three. Simultaneously, Mori and Soushi moved a bit closer to Sora.

‘It doesn’t matter now.’ Soushi decides. ‘For now, they’re rivals, but we won’t be competing directly with each other. I guess our scores will, though.’

He puts his arms on Nozomu and Sora’s shoulders.

‘And for that, we need you guys to focus on passing your tests.’

‘Got it, sir!’ Sora salutes, then frowns. ‘Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be the leader?’

‘Alright, Soushi-senpai!’ Nozomu grins. ‘How hard can it be with you on our sides?’

*

Nozomu so called this thing.

The moment the group of men in suits enter, and simultaneously, a small stage elevates itself in the middle of the room, Sora knows it.

The men introduce themselves as their supervisors, and Backstage Supports to Special Units of Tsukino, but the names fall out of Sora’s mind instantly. What stays though, is their Song. It’s only one, but it’s strong, and complete, and most likely Composed already. Suddenly, their ace card lost its’ element of surprise; if even Backstage members of the organization had it...

Then, through the single Song two new ones permeate, clearer, more offensive, closer to their Singers, and simultaneously, Mori on his right inhales sharply.

‘That’s second son of Minazuki Clan.’ he says quietly, looking at the gloomy looking child, and Soushi side-eyes him.

‘Minazukis had a second son?’

‘It’s not a very known fact.’ Mori answers. ‘I don’t know the details, but after Okui incident, he disappeared completely from the Clan’s politics. Rumor was he ran away. It seems it was true, at least to some degree...’

‘You call it Okui incident?’

‘Hm? Hunters call it differently?’

‘Yeah, Minazuki incident.’ Soushi snorts quietly. ‘I guess it makes sense not to call that among High vampires, though.’

‘Indeed.’ Mori smiles softly, before refocusing on the Tsukino officials in front of them.

On the stage, Minazuki’s second son nods to the supervisors, and stands next to the girl with short, bright hair, who slaps his back, gently enough not to topple him.

‘Ah. And that’s the lady of Terase Clan, Terase Juno.’ Soushi identifies the huntress. ‘She specializes in... nullification... holy shit.’

‘Sou? Mori?’ Sora looks between the two of his now considerably paler classmates, but before he’s able to force them to answer, he feels a wave of something _cold_ passing through the room. Ren shudders next to him.

‘That was strong.’ he says, embracing himself. Nozomu places a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, and opens mouth to no doubt cheer him up, but what comes out is a short:

‘Huh? Mori-senpai’s control sign is gone?!’

‘What?’ Sora looks at vampire’s right wrist. Mori used his family’s developed techniques to place a bracelet-like mark there, supposed to help Nozomu in controlling his potential. That bracelet was now gone.

‘I have a bad feeling about this.’ mutters Mori, and he and Soushi turn to Sora. ‘Can you check your amplifiers, Sora?’

‘Eh? Ah, sure- ehh?!’ Sora looks down at his forearm, where temporary glyph for stamina placed on him by Soushi’s uncle, a Glyph master, should shine... to see blank skin.

‘Nullification of enchantments.’ Ren says with dawning realization.

‘We want to see your power, not your affiliation with this or that hunter or High vampire clan, so, me and Rui over there erased all of the improvements made from outside.’ Juno explains cheerfully. ‘Go for it with your own power! Shove it down our throats! But, rely on yourselves for that! Alright?’

‘Here comes the stamina monster.’ Soushi mutters quietly. ‘That’s what people call her sometimes, and it seems for a good reason. This cheerful after erasing a hall chock full of enchantments should be illegal.’

‘I think we have bigger problems to take care of.’ Mori consciously notes, then looks at Ren, staring down in confusion. ‘Ren? Something’s wrong?’

Younger vampire looks up at him. Then, wordlessly shows him his wrist, where visual proof of his Guardian pact with Soushi still imprints his skin.

‘This is outer enchant too, technically.’ he says in confusion, but, as if reading from his lips, Minazuki Rui steps forward, raising his hand, like a good student.

‘Here, I was the one to erase all outer influences on vampires. But, some of you had a human improvement, like a Guardian Pact, in place. Those were left in place.’

He looks at the quartet in green, then at Soara, and Soushi suddenly realizes that the two of them are the only units including both people and vampires.

‘We want to see your own power, but also your cooperation that might save you on the Field.’ he finishes his thought slowly. Juno sends him a reassuring grin when he steps back and behind her.

‘Besides, it would be at the very least a bit unsettling for us to have Rui, who’s in Guardian Pact himself, be able to disable those, so. You guys are free to lean on those connections!’ she says, turning to the hall, and Sora stares. High vampires weren't required to form Guardian pacts, they were overseers of those, so why...?

‘Does that mean we can imprint support enchants on our teammates still, provided they’re of opposite race?’ Mori asks, after subtly moving away from Sora. Juno looks at him and grins.

‘You can try! If you’ll be able to get past our-’ she pats Rui. ‘-Voids, I guess that would mean you would also manage to put those on your teammates on the Field.’

‘I see, thank you.’ Mori bows his head politely.

‘Isn’t that a bit unfair?’ speaks a voice to Soara’s left, but this, one of the supervisors, Kurotsuki or something like that, Sora thinks, is the one to answer.

‘As Terase-san was explaining previously, we do want to test your ability to cooperate in mixed units as well. Most of Tsukino is mixed, so ability to work together, however temporary, is prerequisite for joining.’ he flips something on his notepad. ‘We will now enter preparations stage that will last approximately fifteen minutes. If you manage to team up with a team of opposing race for mutual enchantments, we will also allow those- obviously, if you’ll be able to put them on despite Terase-san and Mi- Rui-kun’s techniques, obviously.’

‘They don’t want to give away his name.’ notes Soushi quietly. Mori, who in the meanwhile managed to return to them, nods wordlessly.

‘What else is there from the briefing side.’ the man looks at his notes. ‘The numbers you were assigned at the entrance are the order in which your teams will enter the test course. Your team's score is sum of all members’ scores split by their number. Of course, the higher the number, the better, but we will be looking at the whole process of gaining them, before choosing participants for the second stage of auditions, so bear that in mind. From us it’s all, we wish you the best of luck, and see you in fifteen minutes.’

The hall erupts in chatter and loud complaints, but none of it matters to Sora.

‘Sou, Mori.’ before he is able to formulate his question, both teens shake their heads.

‘It’s dangerous.’ Mori says quietly. ‘Techniques developed for vampires are different than those for humans. Maybe Sou will be able to do something for Nozomu, though.’

‘Not much.’ Soushi grumbles quietly. ‘I’m no Glyph master, and we would need somebody of this level of sensitivity to safely imbue enchants onto other race.’

‘Aaargh, so annoying!’ Nozomu grasps at his hair and crouches down. Sora is very tempted to join him, when quiet voice of their last member speaks up.

‘In that case, maybe I can help?’ Ren looks shyly between all of them, and Soushi slaps his forehead, as Mori’s expression slowly changes to a grin.

‘Of course.’ they chorus.

‘Ren, you’re a lifesaver.’ Mori adds, making younger vampire stutter, but then Nozomu tackles him into a full body hug.

‘Ren, you’re amazing! No idea what it is, but, you are!’ their freshly made High proclaims, making his teammates chuckle, and Ren to blush furiously, burying his face in shoulder of his friend-boyfriend.

‘At least learn why he’s amazing before you proclaim him such.’ Soushi huffs. Then, he throws a judging glance between Nozomu and Sora. ‘We’re going to use Ren’s sensory powers to recreate your enchants with minimal side-effects, guys, but they will be at best half as strong as those you came in with previously.’

‘It’s still definitely better than nothing.’ Sora returns, feeling as hope enters his heart. Maybe he won’t do abysmally on the tests and won’t disqualify Soara with his scores, after all? ‘So? Who you’re going to start with?’

*

In a not so shocking turn of events, Sora IS the weakest scorer among the five of them, but even that isn’t enough to kick Soara out of the run.

The stamina test included a parkour-like course, which the Growth- green quartet going in before them- defeated by having one of their members literally fly over it, the second slither through it as if he didn’t have a bone that couldn’t be easily dislodged and instantly set back in his body (according to Mori’s information, it was highly possible if the man was a Rat or Snake Soul Spirit User, although it still baffled Sora), and the remaining two to go through by using more conventional methods, but also using their elemental affinities to hurry it up.

On the other hand, approaches in Soara were less impressive. While Soushi passed various obstacles, ducked missiles and avoided traps with regular hunter’s efficacy, and Mori and Ren used their elements and senses respectively to avoid any confrontation altogether, Nozomu blazed through the field, causing Sora to have to wait, while the course was recreated- much to the amusement of one of their supervisors, so he hoped they weren’t just disqualified on spot for that. After that, Sora barely made it to the other side, avoiding slipping into a trap and getting hit by a flying stone by a millimeters, making him slow down considerably. He wonders if the course planners took revenge on him for his teammate destroying the course; if so, he was going to kick Nozomu to the moon and back.

Then came the orientation test, where they walked the maze with their eyes blindfolded, basically letting Ren take the lead, as the air sensor was the only one not baffled in the least by the loss of one of his senses, and still capable of telling their surroundings apart without falling into it first. It worked, even if few of the exchanges between them definitely ended up inappropriate for their age, courtesy of Nozomu wanting to test if Ren will be able to tell his touch away from all other members of the team, and choosing rather unfortunate place to lay his hand on. This resulted in a -very- long and very flustered lecture slash rant from Ren on appropriateness and waiting for the right moment, and a lot of stuff a single like Sora would like to hear about only AFTER he gets a date. This sentiment, grumbled under his breath between Mori and Soushi, has earned him a double exasperated yet fond sighs from both his classmates, which in turn made him press them to promise to spill about the person they were into if they pass the first stage, and not after the whole process like they planned originally. Much to his surprise, both men agree. Despite this break for lesson on love, they make it out of maze just after the green quartet (again).

Finally came the power tests, where basically everyone conceded defeat to the heir of Etous, whose scores went over the chart, according to the announcer informing them of highest and lowest score (they didn’t use names, but. It was easy to see the slightly unsure, slightly uncomfortable tone Etou’s Song took on, once the results got announced, at least to Sora).

Then, they announced those who passed on to the next round.

And Soara was among those.

They were too stunned to do anything beyond collapsing on the floor in the rest room assigned to them for cooling down, and stare at each other, before Sora starts shakily.

‘We...’

‘...actually...’ Ren adds shakily.

‘...passed?’ Mori says disbelieving.

‘We did it.’ Soushi says, as if needing confirmation of the fact to make it true.

‘WE DID IT!!!!’ Nozomu bellows at the top of his lungs, and all of them jerk away from him, but this doesn’t matter, for Nozomu lunges for Ren, and then onto rest of them, still shrieking happily. ‘We actually made it!’

‘Dude chill, we heard you first time!’ Sora laughs.

‘My eardrums might be permanently damaged now...’ Mori mutters, massaging ear closer to Nozomu.

‘Ren, how do you deal with it all the time?’ Soushi asks, doing exact same thing on the other side of the vampire. ‘I know they say love is blind but if this also makes you deaf, we might have problem.’

‘Eh, no, that’s... Nozomu usually doesn’t reach this level.’ Ren helplessly stare at everyone, red in the rather tight embrace from Nozomu, still shaking with euphoria. Sensor smiles through his blush, his powers making him pick up Nozomu’s feelings. ‘But, I’m glad we did. It would be sad to fail, before we even get to present Sora-senpai’s Song.’

Mori blinks.

‘Right. We actually weren’t asked to Sing. Even though we declared having Song...’

‘Won’t they test it at the next level? Or even third one?’ Soushi asks slowly. ‘It’s probable they don’t want to waste their time on units having Songs but not basics needed for survival on the Field.’

He looks pointedly at Sora, and his childhood friend urks.

‘A-Anyway! We gotta pass those next, so that those Songs can be heard again!’

‘Speaking so soon after passing the first audition.’ Mori laughs. ‘It feels like ages ago when Ren came to me saying you suppress your talent in fear of affecting us.’

‘T-That’s because, you know!’

‘We don’t know. We’re not in your head, you know.’ Soushi stands up and stretches. ‘It seems like rather stuffy place to be, contrary to Nozomu’s.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ chorus the aforementioned duo.

‘That you’re special in your own ways.’ Mori quickly placates both of them with a gentle smile, and joined by Ren’s hand shyly grasping at Nozomu’s, it’s enough to placate younger High. ‘It’s thanks to that we passed.’

‘I can accept that...Wait a moment!’ Sora raises both his hands up. ‘Didn’t we forget something?’

Everybody still their movement and look at him attentively. Sora directs accusing glare Soushi’s and Mori’s way.

‘You agreed to tell me who it is after we pass!’

The two exhale at the same time.

‘That’s what you meant?’ incredulously asks Soushi. ‘Seriously, Sora?’

‘Seriously, seriously!’

‘Um, isn’t it kind of obvious though?’ Nozomu raises his hand, and that warrants a reaction, for all seniors turn as one.

‘It is?!’

‘I mean, obviously?’ Nozomu blinks at them. ‘We spend most of our time together so, it’s hard not to notice?’

‘You must be joking...’ Soushi sighs, Mori too stunned to say anything. ‘I expected it from Ren, but not Nozomu.’

‘I-I mean, it was not my business, and Sou-nii also didn’t intrude on m-me and Nozomu-’

‘Ren, you’re practically out and proud with us at all times.’ Mori slowly says. ‘I don’t think you have to feel embarrassed around us by now.’

‘It’s not like I can help it!’ Ren flails his free hand, at least until Nozomu doesn’t catch this one as well. ‘I mean- senpai, aren’t you getting embarrassed by it still? Sou-nii, too!’

‘We’re morosexuals, so if we get embarrassed by it, we’ll never get to anything.’ Soushi answers, and Mori shakes his head, expression sheepish.

‘I feel bad I can’t deny it.’

‘Don’t be.’ Soushi starts, but Sora interrupts his sentence.

‘Just so you know, I’ve looked up that word, and it definitely doesn’t increase your chances with that person, if you call them stupid!’ he swings his arm over his childhood’s friend’s shoulder. ‘So now, spill- who’s the lucky girl?’

Soushi groans.

‘Sora, even you can’t seriously think somebody in this room has an eye for girls like that.’

Sora blinks.

‘Oh, so that was why you were so reluctant to spill~ it’s ok, it’s ok, Soushi-kun, I’ll definitely help you- or you and Mori, I still haven’t figured the logistics of that - get you your perfect boy!’

‘Perfect is not the adjective I’d use.’ Soushi says, but doesn’t shrug him off still.

‘Amusing, would be better, right?’ Mori says, and hunter snorts.

‘Alright, sometimes. But sometimes plain annoying. Talented, though.’

‘I see we’re upgrading the lovetalk~’ Sora grins. ‘Alright, then, I get it, you have it hard-’

‘You don’t even know how.’ mutters Soushi under his breath. Sora ignores him.

‘-and your target is great, but, names, mr Kagurazaka- and mr Arihara, I haven’t forgot about you- names!’

Soushi and Nozomu urgh like one, surprisingly.

‘Is it even needed at this point?’ Nozomu complains, and Sora sticks his tongue out. Mori chuckles.

‘Well, maybe not for you, but I want to get confirmation at the source! So, Soushi! Mori! Who it is?’

‘You.’ says Mori.

‘You.’ at the same time groans Soushi.

‘You.’ snorts Nozomu.

‘You.’ shyly confirms Ren.

Sora blinks.

Then, his brain stops processing, except for two words.

_Holy shit._

_Holy shit, holy shitholyshitholyshitholy-_

‘I-I think we broke Sora-senpai.’

*

Okay.

Okay, so he so didn’t see that coming. That the resolution to the love triangle has laid at his feet all this time, because, well, he was the one his best friends were after, and what if he uses that to date both of them?

So easy!

Or, well, would be, if that didn’t mean he had two of his most popular classmates in a relationship. With him.

Well, they technically already were in a relationship? Kind of? They were Singers and a Composer. Or, fellow Singers, if you didn’t know for sure Sora was a Composer. Still that relationship, Sora suspected ladies could accept, however reluctantly. But not the one where both guys can turn them down with a ‘Sorry, I’m already in a dedicated relationship’! Although, according to Soushi’s words, both him and Mori turned girls down even before they (un)officially started dating. Anyway, this was a much more pleasant problem than a problem of being the single single out of the three of them. Or, a single dude with no actual love interest (at least conscious one. He had episodes where he REALLY quickly had to change his train of thought, when Soushi’s and Mori’s eyes got involved- for somebody who lives and breathes music, Sora was surprisingly attached to the image of nice eyes).

He saves himself from the complete wrath of the girls by not coming out with that relationship - or relationships? - and making sure the girls from their class got the roles with names in the play. It seems to work, he’s still alive.

The Coming Up With Idea Committee naturally changes to Managing Stage Production Committee, their classmates keeping their word and helping whenever and wherever they can. This makes everything come together much smoother than an event organized by Sora should, but he’s not complaining. It’s fun, and he gets to spend time with everyone, and even some admirers of Mori slowly change sides, as his simple talk during taking the measurements for the costume proves.

Sewing Club wasn’t involved in any other project for the year-end activity, and so, they happily agreed to help with stage costumes. They need to measure anybody going onto stage, and it’s a good training for designing and sewing for different body types, they say. They separate actors into batches, and it just so ends up that Sora comes in with Ren and Nozomu.

‘Okay, you two are human characters, so you are in Rei’s team.’ Aya, the leader -is that how you call a woman in charge in the not-sports club?- points the two vampires in the direction of the tall blond with a notepad and team of the girls with measurements tapes wrapped around their shoulders. ‘Just tell them your roles and do what they say afterwards. Oohara-kun, you’re with supernaturals, so you’ll work with Mizumichi over there. You okay?’

The question is justified, as Sora suddenly remembers the face of the girl with blue eyes, long hair, and pale complexion that only High vampires ever seem to possess, from the circle of admirers he’s pulled Mori out from just two weeks ago...

‘It’s fine, he just hates needles.’ Mizumichi reassures her captain -was That how you call them? - before shooting Sora a close-lipped smile. ‘Good thing we’re not using any pins today.’

‘Well, thank you for that.’ Sora says shakily, unsuredly accepting the - what was it actually? A truce offer?

It seemed so, for the moment the club president- THAT's how you call them!- unsuredly moves to check on the human group, she sighs.

‘I meant it when I said what I said. I’m not gonna eat you. Get on the stool.’ she points to the small furniture in front of her.

Sora does as asked, and opens mouth to say his role, but Mizumichi stops him.

‘I know. There’s no way Arihara-san would let you stand on stage alone, much less now.’

‘...how much do you know?’ Sora slowly asks. Mizumichi pulls out a notepad and unwinds her own tape.

‘Enough to know that being petty to you will get me nowhere near Arihara-san’s favor.’ she returns dryly. ‘Raise your hands. Your height?’

‘...171.’

‘Yeah, sure. I’m jotting 169.’

‘How did you know?!’ Sora stares at the girl incredulously, and she snorts.

‘I’m in this club, but how long do you think my family has been in tailoring business?’

‘Longer than I was born, probably.’ grumbles Sora, and Mizumichi nods.

‘Exactly. Extend hands in front of you, please. Thanks. You’re not fooling a tailor’s daughter.’

‘That’s bullying!’

‘That’s facing reality.’ Mizumichi takes measure of his arms, wrists and biceps. ‘Like the fact you’re closer to Arihara-san than we ever will. Try not to gain muscle there before the play.’

‘Why are you even obsessed with Mori?’ Sora asks carefully, looking as the girl notes down the numbers, before starting on another measurement. She pauses for a moment.

‘...Obsessed? I guess that’s how we look to you, huh.’ she muses. ‘His family is main player in politics, both internal and the human-vampire relations. Having him back you up is a safety warrant for smaller High Clans and Families, you see. To some, he might be a way for a higher position. For me it’s the former, though. I want to work with their development team, they have one of the most advanced technologies, and I can’t even imagine what kind of fabric we could make with it.’

Against himself, Sora smiles. The tone the girl used, he knew well, he himself used it when talking about Songs. He guessed that while Mizumichi also wanted to use Mori, her reason was much closer to him than he thought.

‘Ah, it sounds immature, but it’s not like I- like we want to just mooch off of Ariharas, you know. Cooperation could help them with technology development, especially Field one.’

‘You know, even if you tell me all that, I won’t be able to repeat half of it to Mori.’ he says, and when the girl looks at him quickly, he grins. ‘Though it sounds like you love clothes!’

‘You bet.’ she smiles at him, a real smile, before hiding it by scribbling another number. ‘I guess when you grow up watching them come into existence, you get the urge to create as well.’

‘I get it.’ Sora means that, and she can see it, for Mizumichi nods, closing the pad.

‘I’m done.’ she hesitates. ‘Do you mind if I use you?’

‘What?’ Sora tenses.

‘Chill, it’s nothing bad. You guys got past the first stage of the Tsukino audition, right? Rumors travel quick among tailors.’ she explains, seeing his baffled expression. ‘I won’t be surprised if everyone in school will know by the end of the month, so prepare yourself, by the way. Okay, now, what do I want to use you for. I can’t ask that of Arihara-san, since somebody will definitely copy my idea, but. You guys don’t have Field uniforms, right?’

‘That’s a thing?’ Sora asks, and the girl snorts. Sora suddenly remembers their school unit, and the quartet in green, preceding them in almost all tests. ‘R-right, it is. So?’

‘What kind of color scheme do you think will fit your group?’ Mizumichi asks. She waves her hand around. ‘It’s not mentioned much, but. The unit that was send off by our school this year had their uniforms made there. Since you guys go out to fight for place at Tsukino, and we get all of your measurements anyway, I think, getting you uniforms will be getting a word about us out; even if I don’t get a proper connection to Ariharas from it, it’s still good publicity. And it’s not like you’ll get nothing for that, I have confidence in my skills-’

She’s rambling nervously, Sora realizes with a growing sense of kinship. In front of him, a High vampire was presenting the single-minded focus he’s had towards music being directed towards just as creative process. She wasn’t shy about it, but still tried to present it as a way of politicking instead of the passion of hers it really was, and Sora decides, why not?

‘Mizumichi-san, please!’ he interrupts the girl by bowing energically. ‘Make our uniforms!’

He quickly straightens, as an idea strikes him.

‘But, don’t mention it to Sou or Mori, it’ll then make more impact.’ he grins. ‘And in return, we’ll get your clothes to the Tsukino Organization, for sure!’

*

It’s fun, even super fun. Mizumichi is a creator, and underneath the cover of a High vying for connection is just a girl sincerly loving making clothes for people. Nozomu and Ren catch the wind of his plotting, but Sora pinky swears them to silence (according to Ren, nothing else works on Nozomu) about it, at least with Mori and Soushi in the room. It’s the first time he realizes, he can give them something back, for all the troubles they went through protecting him, and all it takes is a collaboration with a girl loving her art just as much as he loves his, and by extension, also his boyfriends being part of that art. So, yes, his costume-fittings take up longer than others, but when by the final fitting, all five of them are finishing checking out their stage costumes, and Mizumichi with a glint in her eye pulls out five other hangers with black and dark blue checkered materials on them, he feels it was worth it. Even Nozomu and Ren, who were aware of his plotting, are amazed, and Mori seems to calculate something while looking between Mizumichi and the costumes, so. Sora is sure the girl will get what she was wanting for all this time, with her passion finally winning the attention she hoped for.

Passion wins!

‘It was still reckless to plot with the High vampire, Sora.’ Mori says just after Sora confesses he wanted to surprise them, and just before he gave him a big damn kiss.

It was his first kiss! With a vampire!

‘Technically, you’re a High, too, Mori.’ Soushi consciously notes, before he too leans in.

It was his first kiss! With a human!

‘You guys are so unfair!’ he whines, red as tomato, totally not befitting the cool image Mizumichi created through their new uniforms.

His boyfriends look at him. Then smirk.

‘But you love it.’

Damn it. They were right.

*

Mizumichi is one of the nicer Highs, but there’s a lot of the not so nice ones around Mori as well, and those decide to make their lives hard. Even though, true to the tailor’s observation, standing in the way of the people he treasures is not the way onto Mori’s good side, but well, who can understand future politicians, right.

Actually, they were better off if they never became actual politicians. Imagine what vampires willing to use their power to set the second-years’ stageplay presentation date to the day before the second stage of Tsukino Audition would do to the shelters...

There are multiple protests, but a lot of people are adamant about keeping the date. Even when Mori, in a surprising show of displeasure, protests himself.

Sora seems to be the only one who doesn’t mind, huh.

‘I mean, we would take a break from training then anyway, right?’ he says on this or that Soara meeting (people dropped all other names and just started to call them by their unit name- true to Mizumichi’s words, at the end of the month the first stage took place in, all of the school knew of their success and future plans). ‘So, we might as well taste the youth properly, before getting back into the „must get to the Field where I might die any moment” mindset.’

‘That’s... pretty gruesome mindset.’ Mori says slowly.

‘But it’s better than „it’s just the Field, yahoo!” mindset.’ Soushi says, side-eyeing Nozomu. Who pouts.

‘What’s wrong with „yahoo”?!’

‘I... think it’s what it comes with is the problem, Nozomu.’ Ren sweatdrops. ‘Field isn’t exactly a playground.’

‘Even I know this much!’

‘Then behave like you do.’ Soushi sweatdrops. ‘Okay, but Sora - will you be able to focus while thinking that tomorrow is the day you’re going to take part in the probably most important audition of your life? I know Ren will, and Nozomu can tackle everything at once anyway, but you...’

‘Hmm.’ Sora crosses his arms. ‘I’ll just have to make as big of a thing on the stage!’

‘”A thing”... and what may that be?’ dryly says Soushi, but Mori has his hand near his chin.

‘Your role...’ Mori slowly speaks up. Looking up at Sora, he says. ‘Mizumichi isn’t the only one who decided to change her way of approach to me. Izana clan’s heir is in a make-up team, responsible for characterization. He’s said out of supernaturals, yours is the hardest to properly picture.’

‘Well, it’s a wind god, after all...’ Soushi says. ‘The point of the role is to look otherwordly, as if you were swimming in the air.’

‘I still don’t get why are you thought this role is good for me.’ Sora pouts and Mori laughs.

‘You’re meddlesome, powerful, yet fragile at the same time.’ he says with unbridled fondness.

‘You’re also annoying like the opposing wind, but don’t really wish anything bad to anyone. You just are.’ Soushi adds, and Sora whines.

‘I still don’t get it! Mori?’ he asks, noticing vampire’s eyes shine.

‘I think I found something „big” you might want to do on stage, Sora.’ Mori smiles. ‘It will look great as a part of your characterization, too.’

‘What?’

‘How about letting your sight completely out on stage? For good?’ Mori asks, and all of them freeze. Even now, Sora kept his power under thin veil, letting his eyes look normal... eyes.

‘To make my role more otherwordly?’ he asks quietly. Ren hums.

‘People will think it’s a costume at first, but because the play is long, they will get used to it that way. Everybody will forget it’s strange by the end.’ sensor says slowly, and his own eyes start to shine. ‘Sora-senpai, you will no longer have to hide. With all of the school knowing you like this...’

‘Whoa, that’s a good one!’ Nozomu pats his boyfriend heavily, earning a scowl from Soushi. ‘I like Sora-san’s eyes better when he’s not holding back anyway!’

‘That’s not as easy as a matter of like and dislike...’ Soushi sighs. ‘Although, if we do pass the audition, you habitually hiding it will become a problem. There’s no point in hiding a power thanks to which you’re even on the Field.’

‘We can treat the stage as a test, too.’ Mori says, clearly getting excited by his own idea. ‘The whole school will be watching, or at least, a big part of it; you’ll get to see all of the Songs that until now you’ve held yourself back from seeing- Sora?’

Sora blinks, then grins as the idea registers in his mind.

He would come back to the world from his childhood, where everything was covered in sound.

‘I love it.’ he says softly, then louder. ‘I love it! I love you guys, too!’

They laugh as he launches himself at all of them.

This is how the youth should feel like.

*

And this is how, few weeks later, they are in the backstage of the school auditorium, the same one a sendoff assembly took place in, this time a bunch of people and vampires running between them, making the final checks and touch ups to their looks.

Sora grins back at the supportive smile Mizumichi throws his way, and looks over at the rest of Soara. Most of them won’t meet on stage until close to the final, but that was okay.

‘Lights, ready!’

‘Stage, ready!’

‘We’re starting in three minutes!’

‘So many people...’

‘I-I’m getting nervous...’

‘Don’t worry, you’ve practiced harder than anyone-’

The chatter, typical for the eve of a great event, swims around him. Izana sends one last critical look at his face.

‘I did what I could; no idea what Arihara-san has planned, but your eyes will catch everybody’s attention, so whatever you have for them, it better be good, or my make-up will go to waste.’

‘Sure thing!’ Sora grins at the vampire. After all, he’s pretty sure his eyes of the air Composer are good.

They are all called to the wing, and Mori looks stunned by his looks, and Sora’s smile widens.

‘You’re ready, _master_?’ he teases, and vampire blushes furiously. While he managed to stave off the reaction during rehearsals, outside of them, Sora found the indestructible weapon against the vampire. Soushi allowed it, if only because it amused him to no end, and he didn’t know Sora was already looking for a similar thing against _him_.

There’s a lull in the conversations around them, but at the same time, his ears pick up familiar threads of melodies, and Sora realizes they’re once again left alone, just his Singers and him. He looks around himself.

Soushi is as stable of a presence as he’s been for most of his life, just next to him. Nozomu is visibly vibrating with excitement, but it doesn’t stop him from possessively clutching at Ren’s hand. While on stage, they’ll be but a good friends, at this point nobody doubts who’s the real treasure in the young High’s heart, even said treasure with serious self-confidence issues.

Then, there’s Mori, aged with make-up that doesn’t hide the wisdom and kindness in his eyes.

‘Are you ready, Sora?’ he asks, and Soushi simultaneously lays a hand on his shoulder. ‘It is your great reveal day.’

He closes his eyes and listens to the four Songs around him, just for a moment. When he grins and opens them, the Songs are reflected in the blue of his pupils.

‘Like hell I am!’

‘Good.’ Soushi nods, before taking his hand off of Sora. ‘Then, I’m off. I come in from the other side.’

‘Ah, we do too! C’mon, Nozomu,’ Ren urges his boyfriend, before turning to Sora. ‘Good luck, Sora-senpai!’

‘To you, too!’ Sora grins, then looks confused as Soushi visibly stalls, letting the younger vampires pass him. ‘Sou?’

Soushi doesn’t answer. Instead, he leans in.

‘For good luck.’ he announces the obvious, before squeezing Mori’s shoulder. ‘Sorry, but I’d ruin your make-up if I did the same.’

Mori chuckles, and then carefully pecks Soushi’s cheek.

‘This much’s good.’ he announces, and hunter snorts. Sora looks. Huh. So that’s why the triangle worked.

But then, Mori leans in as well, make-up be damned, and Sora just feels loved. Accepted. Whole.

‘Another reason why we chose this role for you, Sora.’ Mori whispers, as he hears the inevitable sound of audience quieting in anticipation. ‘You’re the reason everything turns out alright in the end. This will turn out alright, too.’

Sora doesn’t know what to answer, but it’s okay, since Mori looks like he didn’t expect an answer.

They separate, and come just to the wing, waiting quietly for their turn.

When Prospero enters the stage, for his dialogue with Miranda, Sora closes his eyes, and gradually lets the Songs, all of them, fill his eyes completely, like he didn’t allow them for years now. Izana surely won’t be disappointed!

Sora smiles, hearing the words that Prospero speaks, and Mori’s Song repeats in a tone of love, a words beckoning him, to come out onto stage, and then his Songs to come into the world. He opens his eyes and makes a step forward.

_‘I am ready now._

_Approach, my Ariel.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aand that's a wrap!  
> Yes, Prospero's line is taken straight out of the Tempest's script. I'm pretty sure Sora had a field day after realizing he needs to address mori per "Master" lol.  
> I'm sorry but second stage audition is more in the Growth's timeline... besides, you know how those go, right xD  
> Anyway, Mahou no Kizuna's fifth chapter is also going to get updated soon!


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